Arrancar Watch
by Avatarfan444
Summary: Toushiro and Rangiku are back in the World of The Living for Arrancar Watch, and while there Toushiro and Kurosaki Karin are being followed by a mysterious group of people and the Karakura High cheerleaders, Toushiro fangirls - Hitsukarin
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alo everyone! I'd just like to say that I'm new to writing chapter stories and that please forgive me if I had made any spelling or grammar mistaks. Also please review/comment because I want to hear any comments and/or suggestions you have. This story takes place 5 years after the Winter War, so everyone's five years older. If you cannot remember that here's a chart thing to help you remember:**

**Karin and Yuzu: 16 Years Old**

**Ichigo: 21 Years Old**

**Everyone in Karin and Yuzu's Class: 16 or 17 Years Old**

**Everyone Else: ...**

**"..." means someone is speaking and '...' means someone is thinking**

**I have a deviantart account by the same username and I already have the first three chapters posted there if you want to read ahead, but for here, , I won't post the next chapter until next week (and so on). Alright that's all I have to say. Enjoy folks! :]**

* * *

><p><strong>Soul Society<strong>

"Oi, Taichou, aren't you excited! It's shopping month! Oh this'll be so much fun! First I'm going to look for a cute new tank top with a scarf to go with it an-"

"Rangiku, this isn't a vacation. Do I have to tell you this every time we go to the World of The Living?" growled the 10th division taichou prodigy, Hitsugaya Toushiro.

Yes it was that time again; arrancar watch. Though the Winter War had ended seven years ago, Yamamoto-Soutaichou still felt he had to send out a taichou and fukotaichou to the World of The Living every two months in case of any attacks from left over arrancars or espadas. The lucky taichou and fukotaichou picked for that special job were 10th divison Hitsugaya-Taichou and Matsumoto-Fukotaichou. The reason he had chosen Hitsugaya-Taichou was for his looks. They needed a shinigami who could blend in with the students of Karakura High so that he could keep an eye on the Kursosaki's in case their high spiritual pressure attracted hollows to the area, and who better than the taichou who was known for looking like a teenager.

"Oh c'mon, Taichou, it'll be nice to get away from all that paperwork we have to do all day." Rangiku tried to convince the taichou.

"We? Don't you mean me? You are always either running away or drunk whenever I order you to stay and finish your work!"

"Well then YOU," started Rangiku pointing to Toushiro, "need to get away from all that paperwork. Maybe find yourself a nice human girl an-" started Rangiku but was interrupted when Toushiro raised his hand near her face.

"Do not start on that again, Rangiku. I am a taichou and have no time for, nor desire, a girlfriend." Toushiro said with his arms crossed and eyes shut.

"Oh c'mon, Taichou! It wouldn't be too hard considering how much you've grown in the last few years! You're always so stressed out and grouchy…unless," Rangiku's lips turning into a huge grin and her voice turning teasing, "you're with Karin-chaaaaaaaan." As soon as Rangiku had finished that sentence she burst out in laughter watching her taichou's scowl permanent, serious face turn into a red cheeked, wide eyed one.

Toushiro's face quickly changed back to its old self as he turned and yelled at the woman rolling on the ground laughing. Rangiku, of course, was right though. Since the Winter War, he had started growing and now looked as if he were sixteen or seventeen years old. He had finally grown taller and was only about three inches shorter than Ichigo who was now the current 5th division taichou, his eyes didn't look as big as they use to, and he had even grown quite muscular. The Karin, Rangiku had mentioned, was of course none other than Kurosaki Karin; little sister of Kurosaki Ichigo and daughter of Kurosaki Isshin.

Throughout the years Toushiro and Rangiku were sent to the World of The Living, he had spent his months living in the Kurosaki residence. At first it was because he couldn't stand living in the same small apartment as his loud, sake drinking fukotaichou and the girl who would eat what would poison or give heart attacks to others, but as time passed he would go there just to be with Karin(and Yuzu's delicious cooking). When he was around her he was less tense and, as Rangiku said, grouchy. She was the only one he trusted enough to tell anything to other than Momo, but when he told her things it felt nice and right. They would always do things like play soccer, visit Grandma Haru, have eating contests (most of the time the food was watermelons), and just stay quiet, sitting on the railing in Toushiro's favorite spot. The only reason Rangiku knew he would be less tense around her was because half the time Toushiro and Karin were together she would stalk them. Toushiro had caught her following them one time, so after everyone in the Kurosaki residence fell asleep that night he had shunpoed to Orihime's apartment to give Rangiku a piece of his mind and he would have to if she didn't ask him that question. "You like her don't you?" He didn't know how to answer. He had feelings for her yes, but he just couldn't sort them out. To him it was best left unsorted, he lived in the Soul Society was a shinigami taichou and she lived in the World of The Living and was human. He had told Rangiku all that and she understood, but that didn't mean she wouldn't tease him about it.

"Get up and be quiet, Rangiku! We need to be ready for when the senkaimon is ready for u-"

"Hitsugaya-Taichou, the senkaimon is ready for you," interrupted a shinigami who was watching Rangiku pick herself up off the ground, "Why was Matsumoto-Fukotaichou on the ground?"

"No reason. Follow, Rangiku, it's time to go," growled the annoyed taichou as he ran through the senkaimon next to a hell butterfly. By now Rangiku was up and running inside the senkaimon trying to catch up to her taichou.

* * *

><p><strong>Meanwhile in Karakura High<strong>

The Karakura High cheerleaders were exiting the girl's locker room showers from practicing; each with a towel around their body and head. As one opened their locker looking at themselves in their mini mirror, she took the towel off her head and,

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! MY HAIR! MY HAIR!" screamed in terror the cheerleader. Others gathered around to see to why she was screaming and screamed at the sight of her hair.

"IT'S GREEN! YOUR HAIR IS GREEN!" shrieked one.

"IT LOOKS SO UGLY!" yelled another.

"WHAT HAPPENED!" These were just some of the sentences shrieked among the girls as they all stared at the girl's hair.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! MY HAIR! IT'S PURPLE!" screamed another cheerleader as she examined her hair. One after another the girls took of the towels that were on top of their heads. Ear splitting shrieks and screams were heard all over Karakura High. Then from the now opened door of the locker room two girls stood there, holding onto their stomachs laughing. All the cheerleaders looked toward the door afraid of who saw them the way they were, but as soon as they saw who was there their worried faces turned to those of rage filled.

"YOU TWO!" screamed the first girl who noticed the…change…in her hair. The taller of the two at the doorway looked up, holding in their laughter, but their huge grin clearly noticeable on their face.

"That's a nice look for you, Hana!" Now the girl couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out in laughter, holding tight to her stomach as if a monkey were going to jump out of it (I love monkeys XD). Before the cheerleaders could say anything else the two girls ran away laughing.

"THE PRINCIPAL'LL HEAR ABOUT THIS AND YOU'LL BE IN BIG TROUBLE, KUROSAKI! DO YOU HEAR ME, KUROSAKI!" Hana screamed. That's right the girls laughing were Kurosaki Karin and her best friend Hebi Suna. Karin was medium sized with straight black hair going down to her waist. She had an athletic figure, but also one of a fully grown woman about the age of twenty one.

Suna was about the size of Rukia with straight brown hair tied in a ponytail. She had the looks of a fourteen year old girl more than she did a seventeen year old one. She was older than Karin by three months, but whenever they went out in public places people would always think she was Karin's younger sister.

Karin and Suna stopped running when they reached the roof of Karakura High and fell down, rolling on the ground, laughing. "That was a great idea putting dyes in their shampoo, Karin!" complimented Suna as she raised her hand to high five her.

High fiving back Karin said back between laughs, "Thanks. That'll teach 'em for making fun of our families," As she was talking the school's bell went off. "We should get to class before we're late again."

"Yeah good idea."

They ran to class and sighed out of relief when they saw the teacher was still at lunch. They quickly got into their seats, and when the teacher arrived acted as if they were there the entire time. Ten minutes went by until a different teacher came into the room went to Karin's teacher and whispered something into her ear. When he backed away Karin's teacher nodded and he went away.

"Kurosaki Karin and Hebi Suna to the principal's office, again." spoke the teacher in a loud voice, but grumbling the last part. They stood up without a word and walked out of the classroom into the hallway on their way to the principal's office. When they arrived there they saw an old looking man, in a desk, talking to a white haired boy.

Karin grinned when she saw who the white haired boy was. Waving her hand, she called out, "Oi, Toushiro! Back already?" The white haired boy looked to his side to see her and smiled.

"Hello, Kurosaki, Hebi-san. In trouble again I see."

"What makes you think we're in trouble?" Karin asked.

"Well why else would you be here?" Toushiro questioned.

"Heh true."

"Ahem. Kurosaki, Hebi, would you mind taking a seat?" said the old man, waving his right hand toward the two empty chairs in front of him. When they were seated the old man in a calm voice said, "Now girls you have to stop these pranks. They are way out of control."

"Oh c'mon, Mr.W, they're not outta control. You just can't handle them," replied Suna who was elbowed in the arm by Karin as soon as she finished that sentence.

Mr.W looked Hebi in the eyes with fury. "You are to address me as Dr. Waski, and I cannot handle them because they are out of control!" His voice was rising as he said, "You do ridiculous and dangerous things almost every week! Just last week, you two hooligans fed the science class' animals caffeine then set them out of their cages! It took us up to yesterday to find them all and put them back in their cages!"

Suna looked shocked. "You mean you know about that!" Suna asked. Karin just smacked her head as the words spilled out of Suna's mouth.

"I do now. Hebi you are banned from the soccer team for two weeks. Kurosaki since you are the taichou of the team you are only suspended for a week, but you will have to stay after school this week and next assisting the teachers with whatever they need done. You are both excused and take Hitsugaya-san with you for I am done with him also." Before Suna could say anything else Karin had covered her mouth and dragged her out of the room followed by Toushiro. "Ugh I need a vacation." Dr. Waski grumbled.

* * *

><p><strong>In the Hallway<strong>

"Suna you baka! How could you fall for that again! That's the sixth time this year! Now we have to miss Sunday's soccer game!" Karin yelled at her best friend.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" replied back Suna, holding her arms up in front of her face looking even more like a small child. "At least you don't have to miss two games!"

"Guess you're right. That could be your punishment for snitching," Karin said smirking.

"Ahem," both girls turned to the white haired man (he's not actually sixteen remember) who they now just remembered was there. "Shouldn't we be going to class not standing around here yelling?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mr. Goodytwoshoes. C'mon let's get to class," said Karin.

"Also what did you two do this time?" Toushiro asked.

"We dyed the cheerleaders' hair." Karin said as if she were just telling him the time. He stared at her for a short moment before looking away, stuffing his hands in his pockets, and continuing on his way to class.

* * *

><p><strong>In Class<strong>

As Karin walked through the doorway of her classroom she heard high pitched shrieks and "OMG he's back!"s. She hated how this happened every time Toushiro was here for arrancar watch; hearing the screams and squeals of his fan girls who didn't know a single thing about him except his name. She knew almost everything about him and she wouldn't shriek like a freaking hyena. Then again, it wasn't just the shrieks that would piss her off there were the glares. The evil, jealousy filled glares they would give her whenever she was with him and they were doing that now. Toushiro would always get rid of them, but she was still irritated knowing whenever she was with him his fan girls might pop up, interrupting and ruining their time. Before she got to her seat she saw the purple haired cheerleader grab Toushiro and tell him she's his whenever she wanted her (cough cough she's a slut cough cough. Excuse me I didn't mean to interrupt, I just had a cough). This had pissed Karin off even more and she would have punched her if it wasn't for Toushiro telling the cheerleader to get away from him and get help. Karin didn't like how angry she would get whenever a fan girl would do something like that to him, but she just felt like no one else could have him.

'Have him? What the hell am I thinking? It's not like I own him or he's mine or something.' Karin thought as she sat down and looked out the window next to her desk. True she had gotten closer to him over the years and she did have feelings for him that she didn't for other boys, but it wouldn't matter. He lived in the Soul Society and she lived in The World of The Living. It wouldn't work itself out like it did for Ichigo and Rukia (Ichiruki! Woo!).

Yuzu, who sat behind Karin, leaned forward next to her ear and whispered, "You're happy he's back aren't you?" It was said more like a fact then like a question.

"Please, Yuzu, he's just a friend." Karin whispered back to her twin sister, still looking out the window.

"Do you spend all day and night with your other friends like you do him? You know you're happy just admit it. Happy you're gonna be alooooooone with him," Yuzu whispered, but slowly sounding and carrying out the alone to see her sister's reaction. At the last part Karin's cheeks started to feel her cheeks becoming warmer and she could feel herself starting to blush.

'Get a hold of yourself, Karin! Stop blushing! Why are you even blushing?' Karin screamed to herself inside her mind.

Without turning around Karin whispered back, "Please, Yuzu, he's just a friend."

"Alright then, Karin. I guess you must just be blushing about something completely different." Yuzu whispered back ending the conversation.

'How does she know I'm blushing? I didn't even turn around!'

"Just take the empty seat next to Kurosaki." said the teacher to Toushiro who had to stand front of the classroom to be introduced to the class like he did every two months.

"Yes m'am." Toushiro said before he walked to the empty desk next to Karin's.

The teacher continued to teach when Toushiro was seated. In the middle of the lesson Toushiro had tilted to his left so he could see Karin. She was staring out the window, a small smile on her face, watching two birds fly around in the cloudless sky. He couldn't help but smile seeing how peaceful she looked. 'I wonder if I should do what Rangiku said an-wait! No!' His smile had disappeared now. 'I am a taichou of the Gotei 13 and have no business for such foolish things.' He looked back to the board where the teacher had written an equation they were supposed to solve. He took out a piece of paper from his pack and solved the problem in less than a minute while everyone else was struggling.

"Karin!" yelled the teacher. Everyone turned to look at Karin who had now focused her attention on the teacher instead of the birds. "Why don't you come up here and show us how you solved the problem. You aren't doing anything so that must mean you're done," Karin hadn't talked back like most students would, and instead she walked up to the board and grabbed a piece of chalk. She stood there for about two minutes, writing out how she solved the problem, when she was finished she stood back to let the teacher examine her work. Before looking at the board the teacher began to say, "I am sorry,, Kurosaki but that is incor-," she had stopped talking. She was now looking over Karin's answer. It took about five minutes until the teacher could said, "T-that is correct. Y-you are right, Kurosaki. You may go back to your seat now." Karin nodded and walked back to her where she continued to stare out the window. Evil glares were sent her way, but she ignored them and continued to enjoy watching the birds that still hadn't flown away.

'Heh nice one, Karin. You left the teacher speechless.' Toushiro thought to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>After School in Karakura High's Gym<strong>

"You know you don't have to come with me. I'm the one in trouble not you," Karin said to Toushiro putting down her book bag in a corner of the gym.

"I want to come with you. There are no hollows around and it is boring in your house without y-," started Toushiro but was interrupted by a teacher calling Karin.

"Hey, Kurosaki! Over here!" called out the gym teacher. Karin and Toushiro walked up to the teacher. He was a man who looked about in his forties, brown hair cut in a buzz cut, wearing a grey hoodie and shorts, and a whistle around his neck (that's what I think of when I hear gym teacher). "I'm sorry to hear about the punishment. Man the team's gonna have to play harder since Suna and you won't be playing."

"Thanks, coach, and don't worry they'll win! C'mon they're Karakura Souls! Course they'll win even if they don't have their taichou and Suna!"

The coach chuckled. "That's why you're a great taichou, Kurosaki! Always have faith in your team members!" Turning serious he said, "Anyway I need you to go and organize the jump ropes, pump air into the basketballs, hang up the new shipment of health posters, and organize the equipment in the closet."

"Sure thing, coach!"

"That's our taichou! Well I better go out and watch the team. See ya Kurosaki and same to you Hitsugaya-san!" said the coach as he ran to the doors leading outside to the soccer field.

"Man, this is going to take awhile. Better call Yuzu and tell her I'll be late for dinner," Karin mumbled to herself.

"It will." Toushiro said, making Karin groan. "If you don't want my help," Toushiro said with a grin on his face.

Karin's face brightened as she accepted the offer and they got started. An hour and a half later they finished everything there was needed to be done for the coach and headed towards the Kurosaki residence. As soon as they were in the front yard both stopped and took five steps to their left. Ten seconds after arriving, Isshin had jumped through the door with his foot up, prepared to kick Karin, but instead crashed into the trash can behind where Karin and Toushiro use to be standing. Both sweat dropped at the sight of Isshin picking himself up off the ground and out of the garbage, throwing away a banana peel that was on his shirt. When Isshin noticed the white haired man he couldn't help but smile.

"My son has returned!" Isshin screamed in joy while attempting to hug Toushiro, but instead ended up with Karin's fist in his face.

"Shut up, Goat Beard! Man you are so annoying!" Karin yelled at her father.

"Oh dear Masaki why does our daughter hurt me so much!" cried Isshin to a picture of Masaki that was taped to the side of the house.

Toushiro turned from the embarrassing scene to Karin and asked, "Was that there last time I was here?"

"That wasn't even here this morning! Ugh let's just go do our homework." Karin mumbled. They both walked in the house instantly smelling the pleasant aroma of Yuzu's cooking.

"Hey, Yuzu, I'm back early!" Karin shouted in the direction of the kitchen.

"That's great, Karin! I thought you'd be late to dinner." Yuzu said exiting the kitchen and appearing in front of Karin and Toushiro.

"I would have if Toushiro here didn't help me out." Karin said pointing with her thumb to the white haired man behind her.

A devious little smile crept up on Yuzu's face as she faced Toushiro. "So he helped you out, huh? Why didn't you just come here to finish your homework early, Hitsugaya-san? Don't you wanna spend the night doing whatever you want like watching tv, calling some of your friends, or playing video games?" Yuzu's devious smile grew and her voice became teasing as she said, "Or did you just wanna be with Karin alone?" Both Karin and Toushiro were taken by surprise and blushing at the question.

"YUZU! We're just friends and he chose to help me because he's a good friend that's it!" Karin, who was still blushing, yelled in rage and slight embarrassment at her twin who was rolling on the ground laughing at her sister and Toushiro's reactions. Toushiro, who was still taken aback by the question, stood where he was blushing and staring at Yuzu as if she just asked him if he could stuff an entire turkey up his butt.

'She's acting just like Rangiku,' Toushiro thought horrified by the idea of what she and Rangiku could do to them if they worked together.

* * *

><p><strong>Somewhere in Trees nearby the Kurosaki Residence<strong>

Laughter was coming from two weird looking humans. "Look at that stupid shinigami! He's just standing there looking like an idiot! That human is pretty sneaky asking them a question like that," said one of the humans, "Man, I'm glad they gotta window next to where they're standing!"

"Let's go tell Boss the taichou shinigami's back," said the second human.

"But it's just getting good!" complained the first human.

"No. Boss told us we need to get back as soon as we know the shinigami's back."

"Fine, fine, fine jeez. We only get to see this every two months and you gotta ruin it don't ya?"

"We'll have another chance to see him like that soon. Now let's go!" commanded the second human. The two humans jumped down from the tree, onto the sidewalk, then disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alo everyone! First I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who has favorited and gave reveiws! Also, I will try to post up a new chapter every week or two (if possible). Great thing is school is ending soon (cue hoorays) so I'll have more time to write! Well, except that my grandma and cousin are visiting from Brazil (cousin's first time in America!) and my brother will have to be staying in the guestroom (because my Grandma gets his room) which is right across from the computer so writing may be hard. Reason for that is because (1) my parents are anime/manga haters and (2) my brother wouldn't like me writing stories like now I need to shut up and let you all read! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach Kubo Titie (Kubo-sensei) does. I only own the OC characters**

* * *

><p><strong><span>Unknown Area<span>**

"Judging from your report, they are becoming closer. It's only a matter of time now until we attack. I want you and Gonzo to help with that if you can," said a mysterious figure.

"We've been waiting for three years when do we attack?" said a weird looking human (the first from chapter 1).

"Be patient. You will have a chance to fight the shinigami when it is time." replied the mysterious figure calmly.

"I still don't get why they need to be together. If we are trying to kill the shinigami, why does the other need to be involved?"

"Have Gonzo explain it to you. I need to go train."

"Why can't you just explain it to me? I'm already here and it's your plan, so why don't you just expla-"

"Enough Yukon! Now leave so that I may train." commanded the mysterious figure.

Without another word, the man named Yukon left the mysterious figure alone in his dojo. Outside in the woods, he walked up to the man he was in the tree with. "He says it's time we help the two get together."

"Alright then, let's go put on our gigais and think of ideas," said the man, walking alongside Yukon.

"Yo, Gonzo, could you explain to me the plan again?"

Sighing, Gonzo said, "Fine, but pay attention because this is the last time I'll tell you. The reason we are to get them together is because…"

**Sunday at Karakura High's Soccer Field**

The entire field was silent, everyone holding their breath, watching intensely as the ball flew towards the goal. The goalie jumped in front of the net, but was too early for the ball flew right in as he landed back on the ground. The buzzer went off and the crowd erupted in an uproar of cheers and stomping.

"! Karakura souls win! Karakura souls win!" screamed the announcer.

The Karakura Soul cheerleaders were singing a cheer and doing tricks like flips while the team was jumping up and down, high fiving each other, and dumping a cooler full of a sports drink on their coach unlike the opposing team who were moping about their loss. It was a great and challenging game that they had played. The score was nine to seven with the Karakura Souls as the proud owners of the nine.

"I do not get why everyone is so happy," Toushiro said in a bored voice. Karin had convinced him to come along with Suna and her to the game. At first he wouldn't even budge from his spot on Ichigo's bed, but when she had used her puppy dog eyes on him, all he could do was regain the dignity he lost after the blush that crept on his face when he had seen her and follow Suna and her to Karakura High's soccer field.

"We're happy because we won!" Karin explained while cheering. "Plus now we only have to win one more game then we can go to the championship game!"

"How on Kami's green earth are you two friends?" Suna asked out of nowhere, pointing at Karin and Toushiro. "Karin's fun and cool. You're," pointing at the white haired man, "a downer that's never happy."

"Lay off him, Suna," Karin told her best friend.

"No. I still wanna know how you guys are friends," Suna argued back arms crossed.

"Hey Taichou, Suna! Come celebrate with us!" yelled a player from the team, walking with the rest of the players towards the sidewalk.

"Sure!" yelled back Karin. Suna and her started running down the bleacher steps, when Karin noticed Toushiro hadn't moved from his seat. "Yo, Toushiro, c'mon!"

"I don't see the reason why," Toushiro replied in a bored voice. "They had invited you not me. It would be rude for me to intrude."

"You know, Toushiro, there is such a thing as being too polite," Karin sighed. "C'mon if you need an invitation I'll invite you. I, Kurosaki Karin, hereby invite thee, Hitsugaya Toushiro, to come and celebrate my team's victory with us," said Karin in a playful tone.

Toushiro grinned, amused. "Fine,"

"Great! Now let's," began Karin, but stopped mid-sentence when she grabbed his hand and felt chills run down her spine. Toushiro, at the same time, felt the feeling too, but neither backed their hand away. They stayed still like that, watching their hands being held by the other's until Suna called from the bottom of the bleachers and snapped them out of their trance. Karin backed away letting go of his hand, something they both didn't want her to do.

"S-s-so you coming or not?" asked Karin, stuttering.

"Y-yeah. I'm coming," Toushiro answered.

'W-what the hell? What was that, and…and why did…why did it feel good?' Karin and Toushiro both thought to themselves as they joined the team and walked off.

In a nearby tree Rangiku was trying her hardest to hold in all her laughter and giddiness. "Oh I can't wait to tell the guys at the bar about this when we get back to the Soul Society. Taichou's too distracted to even notice my spiritual pressure," Rangiku said to no one while at the same time her and Toushiro's phones started peeping; it was the hollow alert.

Toushiro's still confused face turned serious at the sign of a hollow. "Sorry, Kurosaki, I have to go. There's been a hollow sited nearby," The shinigami apologized.

"But, Toushiro, can't Rangiku get it, and before argue against it just look behind us," said Karin.

Toushiro turned his head slightly back to see what was behind them and scowled when he saw Rangiku. 'How didn't I notice her there?' Toushiro thought. Toushiro turned to face Karin, talking aloud, asked, "How long have you known she was following us?"

"Since we got to the soccer field," Karin said with her hands behind her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Toushiro asked a little irritated.

"I thought you knew, but when you said you had to go take care of a hollow I figured you didn't know Rangiku was following us. I thought all taichous could sense spiritual pressure," Karin replied nonchalantly her hands still where they were before.

"Hey I can sense spiritual pressure! I was just thinking too hard to notice," Toushiro said mumbling the last part.

Curious, Karin asked, "What were you thinking about?"

"I will go tell Rangiku to take care of the hollow. I'll be right back." Interrupted Toushiro already running towards the tree Rangiku was hiding in.

'I wonder what he was thinking about. Oh well he'll tell me when he's ready,' Karin thought while joining a conversation with Suna and two other girls from the team.

**In a Tree**

"Where is Taichou running off to?" Rangiku asked herself.

"Rangiku…" growled a voice behind the fukotaichou.

Feeling the temperature dropping, Rangiku turned around slowly and stammered, "T-T-Ta-Taichou?"

"How long have you been following us?" Toushiro growled.

"Since I saw you blushing," Rangiku answered back nervously.

"How did you see that?"

Before Rangiku could answer, their phones went off again. They pulled them out and noticed the hollow had been defeated. Jumping down from the tree onto the sidewalk, Rangiku asked, "Taichou, are there any other shinigami posted here?"

"No they all left when we arrived, and I don't think that Urahara or his employees had taken care of it either," replied Toushiro who was now next to her on the sidewalk. "They all left to buy supplies for one of Urahara's inventions in Kami knows where,"

"Then who could've defeated it?"

Toushiro sighed. "I don't know, but we should get to the bottom of this. Let's go to Inoue-san's apartment to call squad 12 and-"

"Oh no you don't! You're going to celebrate with Karin-chan and that is final! Besides if the person killed a hollow they couldn't bad. Now," Rangiku said, pushing her taichou, "you have a celebration and girl to get to!"

Toushiro sighed in defeat. "Fine, but you are to call squad 12 and tell them about this while I am with Kurosaki."

"I'll write it in my report when we get back to the Soul Society. Now go have fun!" Rangiku cheered, still pushing Toushiro, but harder.

"Fine, fine, fine just stop pushing me!" Toushiro yelled just realizing there were others walking on the opposite side of the street. Quickly averting the confused, freaked out gazes they were sending him, Toushiro continued to walk down the sidewalk.

"That wasn't very smart, Taichou." Rangiku said shaking her pointer finger at him.

"Quiet, Rangiku." Toushiro commaned, irritated.

"Fine, but I'm walking with you to make sure you don't ditch Karin-chan." Rangiku replied. Sighing, Toushiro agreed and they followed Karin's spiritual pressure to a pizza place called Cici's Pizza. 'What is it with Karin and her team always wanting to come here?' Toushiro thought. Looking inside, he and Rangiku could see Karin, Suna, and two other girls in one table eating and talking, other players were scattered in different tables doing the same as Karin's table, and some were in the arcade.

"There she is! Now here's," said Rangiku giving Toushiro some money, "some money just in case."

"Why do you have money if you are not in a gigai?"

"Just in case," Rangiku told him as if that were enough to answer his question.

"Just in case of what?"

"Stop stalling and go to Karin-chan!" Rangiku said while pushing Toushiro towards the door, choosing not to answer her taichou's question.

"Alright just stop pushing!" Toushiro yelled. Walking inside, Toushiro looked back out the window to see that Rangiku had already left. 'Probably went off to get her gigai and shop,' Toushiro thought after he had checked her spiritual pressure making sure she had left.

"Yo Toushiro!" Turning around, Toushiro saw Karin waving to him. "I payed for you already, so go get yourself some food then come sit down." Toushiro nodded to Karin before walking to the side of the restraint to enter the food line.

**Karin's Table**

"You payed for him again? Why won't you admit that you like him?"

"That's because I don't Suna!" argued Karin. "You've been asking me this for two years when are you gonna drop this?"

"When you admit!" Turning her head to the two other girls at the table she asked them, "Yoko, Kumi doesn't Karin like Hitsugaya-san?"

"Yeah you'd be blind not to notice." answered Yoko.

"Pretty obvious." replied Kumi.

Irritated, Karin said, "I don't like him. Why do you think I like him?"

"Well one reason," Suna began, "whenever our team wins a match you invite him to come celebrate with us and most of the time you pay for him!"

"Plus you two are always together during and after school when he's here." added Yoko.

"And don't forget how nice she always is to him." said Kumi.

"We're good friends, I only get to see him every two months, and I'm not always nice to him!" Karin growled back. Before they could say anything else Karin said, "Look I'm going to go play Terminator Salvation with some of the other players. I'll be back in a few minutes," After saying that, Karin walked away to the arcade. As soon as she was away Toushiro arrived at the table.

Noticing Karin wasn't at the table anymore Toushiro asked, "Where is Kurosaki?"

"She went to the arcade." Suna answered him.

Not wanting to start a conversation, Toushiro began eating his enormous amount of pizza. The three girls just stared in confusion at how a guy so cold and quiet could eat so much, so fast. Even though they were used to seeing him eat so fast it still confused them. Seeing the three girls staring at him, he stopped eating, and looked them all straight in the eyes. "What?" Toushiro asked.

"Nothing." the three girls said in unison, avoiding his gaze. Turning his attention back to the slices of pizza, Toushiro continued to eat.

Staring at Toushiro, Suna thought of the perfect conversation for them to have. She turned to Yoko and Kumi and whispered, "I have an idea. I need you two to back me up. You'll know when to," The two girls both nodded at Suna and waited for whatever they were supposed to be helping with.

Turning back to Toushiro, Suna asked, "So you and Karin are pretty good friends huh?" Without stopping or looking up Toushiro nodded. "So you guys must be pretty close if you hang out all the time right?" Again, Toushiro only nodded. "So Karin's the only one you let call you by your first name?" Yet again, the white haired man nodded. 'He's probably not paying attention anymore. Time to ask him,' Suna thought. Speaking aloud to Toushiro, she asked, "So you like Karin as more than a friend huh?" Without looking up Toushiro nodded.

Realizing what Suna had asked and what his answer was, Toushiro started choking on the crust he was eating. After finally swallowing it, no help from any of the girls, Toushiro said, "Wait what!" He had wanted to yell but his throat hurt too much to try.

"You admitted it!" cheered Yoko, pointing at the shinigami taichou.

"I-I wasn't paying at-attention!" Toushiro replied with a hint of blush on his face.

"You're still not denying it!" said Kumi.

Growling, which was painful to do due to the crust, Toushiro said, "I am going to get water." The shinigami stood up and walked away to the soda machine, ignoring the arguments and calls of the three girls at the table. Pushing his cup against the lever of the water container, he heard complaints coming from the arcade behind him.

"Crap I can't get it!"

"Let me try." Turning around he saw Karin and a girl standing in front of a crane machine.

"Dang it! It's too hard to get, Taichou." said the girl.

"Well it is a crane machine. It's supposed to screw people." Karin huffed. Toushiro took a big gulp of water from his cup, put it down on the counter, and then walked toward Karin and the girl. Walking there, Toushiro saw the name of the crane machine was "The Jewelry Store".

'What would Karin want with jewelry?" Toushiro thought.

"Crap!" yelled Karin smacking the machine gathering attention to herself and scaring the girl with her.

"What's wrong?"

Karin stood still, not moving even one muscle. She recognized the voice, it was Toushiro's. He was standing beside her, looking into the eye of hers that was visible from his point of view. He was so close to her face she could feel him breathing. She gulped. "T-Toushiro?"

"Yes. Now what's wrong?"

Stepping back a little so she wouldn't feel his breath she replied, "Neither Zula or I can get that." Karin pointed toward an open jewelry case. Looking where Karin pointed Toushiro saw a necklace inside a black, leather case. The lace was made of small, silver colored pearls and in the middle was a tiny ring going through a small circular disk that looked like a soccer ball.

'No wonder Karin's here,' Toushiro thought. 'Maybe I should get it for her. Good thing Rangiku gave me money,' Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out a dollar and put it in the machine. The machine made a small noise that quickly went away when the timer started.

"Toushiro, what are you doing?" Karin asked, watching the crane over Toushiro's shoulder. All Karin got in response was silence. She saw the crane moving above the soccer necklace. 'Is he getting the necklace for me?' she thought. The crane slowly started to drop down on the case with its claws opened wide. It continued to drop until the tips of the claws landed on the surface, surrounding the case. The claws closed back up the way it was before, but this time with the case in its grasp. The crane slowly moved to the prize drop and let go of the case allowing it to land with a small _clink_ sound. Toushiro crouched down, and when he stood up the case was in his hand.

"Here," Toushiro said with a smile. He was holding out the case in the palm of his hand to Karin. "This is what you wanted, right?"

"Yeah!" cheered Karin, hugging Toushiro. "Thanks Toushiro!"

"Y-your welcome." The shinigami replied blushing a bit.

"You sure you don't have anything to admit, Karin?" said someone in a teasing voice.

Letting go of Toushiro, Karin and Toushiro turned around to see Suna with her arms crossed and a cocky smirk on her face. "No I don't, Suna," growled the sixteen year old.

"It sure looks like it," Suna chuckled. Confused over what the two soccer players were talking about, Toushiro just watched them as they debated about whether Karin had something to admit or not.

**At a Table**

A girl had watched the whole scene from behind a prize machine. From Karin's failed attempts at getting the necklace to Karin hugging Toushiro. After the hug the girl had ran to a table where a group of girls were eating and talking. When she arrived there she told the girls of what she saw. "-then she hugged him." The girl finished. The entire group was enraged by what the girl had told them.

A girl with yellowish-blue hair turned to a green haired girl and asked, "What are we gonna do about this, Hana?"

"We're going to make Kurosaki regret ever touching my future boyfriend," seethed the green haired cheerleader.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: 1. New kind of dialogue in this chapter: _'Italics' _means that someone is talking to their Zanpakuto spirit (In DA there are no italics because I don't know how to use italic there)**

**2. If you remember from some episodes of Bleach Yuzu would dress Kon up in doll girl clothing so in his flashback he may refer to her as "evil", and also since it's from Kon's POV expect him to say at least a couple of perverted things**

**3. In Toushiro's flashback when someone talks I used the words that used in the subtitles for episode 316**

**4. Karin's ringtone is "Fire It Up" by Thousand Foot Krutch**

**Finally I would like to inform you that I'm bad at First Person so don't expect the flahbacks to be very good. Well, that's all I needed to inform you, I think. Enjoy Ch.3!**

**Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo (Kubo-sama) not me (If I owned it Hitsukarin and Ichiruki would have happened by now**

* * *

><p><strong>School<strong>

"I'm glad you're coming with me again, Toushiro," Karin said. School had ended and they were on their way to the next teacher assigned Karin to assist. "When you help we always get home on time for dinner."

"I'm glad to help you out, Kurosaki," Toushiro replied.

Karin sighed. "When are you going to stop calling me Kurosaki?" Karin asked in a weary voice. "We've been friends for five years and not once have you called me Karin. It sounds like you're talking to Ichi-nii when you call me by my last name." They stopped when arriving in front of a door; the words "Room 190 English" were printed on the door window. Opening the door for Karin, Toushiro allowed her to go in first, and once she was inside the classroom he followed her in.

"Hey, Mrs. Naoki!" Karin called to a teacher who was looking inside a cabinet.

The teacher turned around and smiled when she saw Karin. She walked towards the two students, carrying a big load of papers. "Hello Karin, Hitsugaya-san. Dr. Waski told me you'd help me out today." She dropped the papers onto a desk in front of Karin and Toushiro, making a loud _thud_ sound. Patting the stack of papers, said, "This is the work I need you to help with. You are to organize them in those six folders, stamp each of them with the "done" stamp, then come to me when you are done for the other papers."

'Even when I'm not in the Soul Society I get paperwork,' Toushiro groaned in his head. "Guess we should get to work," Toushiro said to Karin.

A cocky smirk spread across 's face. "You will have to-unless…" Both Karin and Toushiro took their eyes off the papers and onto the teacher. After making sure she had gotten both students' attention, she continued, "unless Karin can read this short story." pulled out a piece of paper from a folder she was holding. Handing it to Karin, she said, "You are my best and most fun student, Karin, so I'm giving you a chance to avoid the paperwork. If you read everything in perfect english you two can leave without doing any work and I'll tell you helped me out, but if you say anything wrong you'll stay here and work 'till you're done with all the paperwork. Sound fair?" negotiated.

"Hell yeah!" Karin cheered with a grin. Looking over the paper, Karin's grin slowly started to disintegrate. "Um, ," Karin began, "you didn't teach us sentences like these."

"You may be my favorite student, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you," explained.

Toushiro looked over to Karin. She looked pretty confident but he could tell it was just her pride making her appear that way. He knew on the inside she was panicking. Bending over to Karin and cupping his hands around his mouth, Toushiro whispered, "Don't worry. I'll help you."

"Hitsugaya-san," called. When Toushiro stood up straight and turned to her she said, "You are my best student since you can read and speak English at a twelfth grade level, so could you stay out in the hallway. I do not wish for you to help Karin."

"Hey! I thought you said I was your best student, !" Karin complained to her teacher.

"You are- when Hitsugaya-san isn't here."

"Meh!"

Toushiro walked out into the hallway, closing the door and leaving Karin and the teacher alone in the classroom. 'Crap! Now I'm definitely screwed!' Karin thought, panicking.

* * *

><p><strong>Hallway<strong>

Toushiro was out in the hallway, hands in his pockets on his way to the bathroom, when he bumped into someone. "Excuse me," Toushiro said politely, not looking to see who he bumped into. He continued to walk until something grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going, Toushiro?" It was Hana.

'It's that girl from class,' Toushiro thought. Looking at her hair he laughed on the inside. 'I guess she must be one of the cheerleaders that were involved in Karin's prank considering her hair is green.' Without making eye contact, Toushiro said in a cold voice, "It's Hitsugaya-san to you and that is none of your business."

"Oh c'mon, Hitsugaya-san, why can't I call you by your first name?" Wrapping both her arms around the arm she was holding, Hana stared at Toushiro with puppy dog eyes. "You let that b**ch Kurosaki call you by your first name," Hana said clearly showing her anger towards Karin.

The temperature dropped to thirty-fives degrees, and Hana started to shiver. Pulling his arm away from Hana, Toushiro seethed, "Do not call Kurosaki that. She is a close friend and I will not have anyone talking ill about her."

"But she is a-"

"Quiet!" Toushiro yelled at the cheerleader. Before she could say anything else, he walked away and entered the bathroom. "The nerve on that girl," the shinigami growled to himself. Eating a piece of soul candy, Toushiro popped out of his body, now in shinigami form, and turned to the soul now controlling his gigai. "Wait here and don't do anything," Toushiro commanded the artificial soul. The soul nodded understanding what he was commanded to do. Toushiro then shunpoed out the bathroom heading back to the classroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Room 190 English<strong>

"Any day now, Karin," grumbled impatiently. "Look if you cannot read the story just tell me so you can start on the paperwork."

Karin sighed. "Alright, I guess I give-"

"Wait, Kursosaki!" Karin turned to where she heard the voice, the window. There standing on the windowsill was Toushiro in shinigami form.

"What are you looking at, Karin?" asked.

"Nothing," the teenage girl lied now looking at her teacher.

"I'll read it aloud and you repeat what I say to ." Toushiro was next to Karin, looking over her shoulder at the paper. She nodded slightly, unnoticed by .

" be ready," Karin warned.

Confused, asked, "For what?"

With a smirk on her face, Karin replied, "To do all that paperwork by yourself because I'm about to read this in perfect english."

The teacher smiled at the teenager's response. "Alright then, you may start." With Toushiro reading the story aloud for her, Karin repeated all he said to , not understanding a lot of what she was saying.

The story was about a high school boy named Keji. He was the taichou of the soccer team, a straight A student, handsome, and what this story says to be a boy's number one dream, a whole herd of fan girls. You think he's happy, right? Living the dream? Couldn't be any happier? No there's still one thing missing-Yoko. She was his best friend since grade school, one of the only girls in school who wouldn't drool at the sight of him, and the only girl he had ever liked as more than a friend. One day he decided that it was time he made a move; therefore he asked her out on a date and, to his joy, she accepted. On their way to the movie theatres Keji admitted to Yoko his feelings for her, and she returned the same feelings. During the movie Keji had kissed Yoko and they were dating from then on (A/N: The mushiness of this story even sickens me a little and I wrote it!).

Reading the story, Toushiro considered if he should try what Keji did and ask Karin on a date, or at least just go to the movies to hang out._ 'Go ask her, Master,' _said a voice inside Toushiro.

_'You haven't said anything since we arrived in the World of the Living, Hyourinmaru. What made you start talking now?' _Toushiro asked the ice dragon.

_'You need advice and I wish to be the one to give you it,' _Hyourinmaru answered.

_'Look there is no point, anyway. Shinigami are forbidden to have relations with humans.'_

_'Kurosaki _(Ichigo)_ is in a relationship with the Kuchiki girl and he is a human.'_

_'No. Unlike his sister, Kurosaki is a shinigami-a shinigami taichou to be exact,'_ Toushiro retorted. _'Shinigami may have relations with shinigami, but shinigami may not have relations with hu-'_

"Toushiro," called a voice interrupting Toushiro and Hyourinmaru's conversation. The shinigami turned to the source of the voice; the voice belonged to Karin. "Toushiro," Karin whispered, " says I got everything right. Now let's go before she sees me talking to nothing."

Nodding his head, Toushiro followed the teenage girl out into the hallway. "What were you doing back there?" Karin asked the shinigami. "After you finished reading the story you went all quiet and stared out the window."

"I was having a conversation with Hyourinmaru," Toushiro answered. "I need to go and get my gigai from the boy's bathroom, so I'll meet you at the school gate."

"Nah it's alright. I'll wait for you outside the bathroom." Still walking, Karin closed her eyes and put her hands behind her head. "Just hurry, midget." Karin said teasingly, smiling.

An anger mark appeared on the white haired man. "How can you call me a midget!" Toushiro yelled closing in on Karin. "Look! I'm taller than you!"

Looking at Karin's face Toushiro saw that she was blushing a little. 'Why is she blushing?' Toushiro thought. Then he realized how they were positioned; without knowing, he had pushed her against the wall with his body close to hers and his face was only inches away from hers. Toushiro's cheeks started turning scarlet, and he could hear Hyourinmaru laughing at him inside his mind._ 'Shut it you stupid dragon!'_

Toushiro quickly backed away, face still red. "Um so I'm going to get my gigai." Before he could let Karin speak Toushrio shunpoed away and entered the boy's bathroom.

Starring where Toushiro headed off Karin thought, 'Was Toushiro blushing! Wait…am I blushing!' Karin then walked off to the boy's bathroom.

* * *

><p><strong>Boy's Bathroom<strong>

"WHAT THE HELL! WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU STUPID ARTIFICIAL SOUL!" yelled an enraged shinigami, who was blushing a little.

"Ah! H-H-Hitsugaya-san!" screamed the soul taking over Toushiro's gigai.

"Wait…that dum, irritating voice…YOU'RE THAT PERVERTED STUFFED ANIMAL THAT'S ALWAYS TRYING TO VIOLATE MATSUMOTO!" Toushiro yelled while taking the black and red sharpies from Kon's hands (or I guess Toushiro's hands).

Kon's fear was replaced with anger as he yelled back, "Hey I have a name y'know! It's Kon, and I don't violate her I try to comfort her!"

"Comfort my a**! Now what the hell did you draw that for – Kon!" Toushiro asked pointing to the picture on the handicap stall door. It was of Karin and him kissing, black and red hearts around them, and on top of it all in big red letters said "HITSUKARIN".

Kon's fear returned seeing the rage in Toushiro's eyes. "Ra-Rangiku made me," Kon answered.

'Matsumoto! Ugh, and I just tried to defend her,' Toushiro thought to himself.

_'See ever your lieutenant knows you should be with the human.'_

_'Quiet, Hyourinmaru.'_

Staring straight into Kon's eyes (or I guess Toushiro's) the shinigami asked, "Why did she make you do this?"

"Well she didn't actually make me. I did this to gain some respect."

Rubbing his temples, Toushiro grumbled to himself, "Stupid little stuffed animal. How could Rangiku have come up with an idea like this?" Kon tilted his head, drifting off into a flashback.

**Flashback (Kon's POV A/N: Prepare for amateur First Person writing)**

From inside Yuzu's closet door, I was listening in on Rangiku and Yuzu's conversation. "I think it's time they finally got together, Yuzu-chan," Rangiku tried to convince the brown haired teenager. "Tai-Toushiro and Karin-chan both like each other they just have too much pride to admit it."

Yuzu sighed. "I know, but do you have any ideas?"

"Well not at the moment, but if we work together I'm sure we'll come up with great schemes-I mean ideas," Rangiku said innocently. Putting on a serious thinking face, the heavenly breasted woman said, "We just gotta think hard-"

"I have an idea!" Yuzu cheered. "Well, two actually."

"Well don't hold back tell me!"

"Well, my first idea is that we can draw a picture of them kissing on the handicap stall doors of the bathrooms in my school, so that whenever Karin and Hitsugaya-san go to number one or two they'll see it and realize they should be together."

"That's a great idea, Yuzu-chan!" Rangiku cheered, hugging (or more like suffocating) the evil teenage girl.

'Oh why can't that be me being squeezed by those magnificent breasts?' I thought drifting off in a daydream about caressing, squeezing, and snuggling in those amazingly large jugs (A/N: Perv).

Pulling back from Yuzu, Rangiku asked, "But wait how do we get the picture drawn in the boy's bathroom?"

"Well…um…we could…" The evil girl began saying, but I guess she didn't have any idea how that would happen.

'This is my chance to get some respect around here!' I thought. 'And maybe Rangiku'll let me snuggle in her jugs if I do this for her!' Jumping out of the closet, posing like the super hero I am, I screamed, "I'll do it!"

Both girls turned towards me. "What do you mean, Bostov?" asked the evil teenager.

My right eye started to twitch a little. 'My name's freakin' Kon not Bostov!' Talking aloud I said, "It's easy! All you need to do is put my soul into Toushiro's soul candy container so when he eats my soul I'll excuse myself to the bathroom and draw the picture on the stall do-" Before I could finish a foot slammed down on me, repeatedly stomping and crushing my face. 'I know I wanted her to suffocate me, but not with her foot!'

"Did he say something about Toushiro eating his soul?" Yuzu asked Rangiku.

By the way she moved I could tell she turned part of her body towards Yuzu, but not taking her foot off my face. "No, no, no! He said that he could um…that he could…switch bodies with any living human!"

I could just imagine the smile on Yuzu's gullible, little face as I heard her say, "He can! Wow, Bostov, I knew you had powers, but I never knew you could switch bodies with people!"

'For a straight A student she's pretty stupid,' I thought.

Sighing, Rangiku took her foot off of me. "How good are you at drawing?" she asked me.

"Why tell ya when I can show ya? Get me a piece of paper and pencil, and I'll show ya how good I am!" After Yuzu had given me what I asked for I started to sketch a picture of Karin and Hitsugaya kissing. When I finished I turned it around to show the girls. "Ta da!"

Both of the girls gasped. "W-wow. Look at it! All the details and the shadowing!" Rangiku exclaimed.

My right eye started to twitch, again. "What! You thought it would be horrible didn't you?" I asked angry that they were so surprised.

"No, no, no, Bostov! We just didn't think it would be so good," Yuzu said, waving her arms in front of her, and I could hear some of the guilt behind the last thing she said. "How did you learn to draw like that?" she asked.

"When you're stuck in a house all day, not allowed to leave it, you have to find some way to entertain yourself. Plus I heard the ladies love artists!" I answered earning myself a glare from Rangiku. 'What'd I say?'

"Well you're hired! Just hide in Hitsugaya-san's back pack then switch bodies with him when he stays after school to help Karin. That'll be your chance to go to the boy's bathroom and draw what you just drew now!"

Rangiku, who finally stopped glaring at me with disgust, turned to Yuzu and said, "I have an idea to add onto yours, Yuzu-chan! Alright, when you and," Rangiku started to hold in a giggle, "Bostov"- my eye started to twitch again- "finish drawing the pictures write right on top of it "Hitsukarin"! Y'know, their names are combined just like the anime couples you showed me, Yuzu-chan."

"Great idea, Rangiku-san!" Yuzu complimented the fukotaichou.

"Now tell me your second idea, Yuzu-chan!"

"Oh right. Well, I was thinking since there would be no school on-" Yuzu began until I interrupted her.

"Well while you two continue scheming I'm gonna go scan out the jogging ladies from Ichigo's bedroom window." Avoiding Rangiku's you-little-pervert face and Yuzu's surprised face, I ran out of the room.

**Flashback End**

"Well picture or no picture being there I need my gigai, so get out now!" Toushiro commanded Kon slowly walking towards him.

"W-wait! What'll happen to me when I come out of the gigai? Are you gonna put me back in the soul candy case?" Kon asked slowly walking away from the shinigami.

"What do you think, stuffed animal?" Toushiro then jumped for his gigai, but Kon dodged the shinigami's attempt and was now running around the bathroom, jumping over stalls, and throwing urinal cakes and crumbled paper towels at Toushiro.

"Toushiro what the hell's going on in there!" Toushiro and Kon stopped where they were and turned to the door. Noticing Kon was distracted, Toushiro grabbed him and put him into a headlock. The shinigami then yelled back at the door, "Nothing, Kurosaki! Just wait out there!"

Kon threw a urinal cake towards Toushiro's face, but because of the position he was in he missed and hit the entrance door.

"That's it! I'm coming in there!" Karin yelled.

"No!" Toushiro yelled. Pushing himself into the gigai, Toushiro used the sharpies to scribbl all over the picture Kon, who was now on the ground, drew.

"What are you doing?" Karin asked now in the boy's bathroom staring at Toushiro.

Without stopping or turning around, Toushiro answered, "My um artificial soul had a malfunction and drew something onto the bathroom stall, so I'm scribbling over it."

"Why are you scribbling over it? Was the picture bad?"

Still continuing to scribble over the picture, Toushiro turned his face towards the teenager, but only a little because it was blushing. "Well it wasn't really…bad. It was more…" Toushiro began trying to find the right word to use.

'Well the hell? Is Toushiro blushing-again?' Karin thought. 'What did the soul draw to make him blush?'

Unable to find a word to describe the picture Toushiro stopped scribbling. "Well let's go now. I think I covered it well enough for no one to see." Before Karin could reply, the shinigami grabbed Kon from the floor without Karin noticing, and put him in his pocket then walked out the bathroom.

Karin looked closely at the door. 'Toushiro was right I can't see a thing through the scribbles. Wait what's…' Squinting her eyes, Karin could make out a name. 'Does…does that say Karin?'

"Let's go, Kurosaki!" Toushiro yelled from outside the bathroom. Karin took one last look at the now messed up picture then ran out the bathroom.

Now out of school property Karin and Toushiro were walking around. A few minutes went by until Toushiro asked, "Are you alright, Kurosaki? You've been quiet for a while now."

"What?" Karin looked around as if she didn't know where she was. "Oh um it's nothing," Karin replied. She had been thinking about the name she saw through the scribbles ever since she left the boy's bathroom. 'Why would an artificial soul write my name on the bathroom, and what was it that it drew?'

"Well, what do you want to do now? Should we go to your house and do our homework?"

Now focusing on Toushiro, Karin replied, "Now why would we do that when we have some free time? Yuzu doesn't expect us to be back until six, so we should do something fun like play soccer or visit Granny."

"I like the visit Grandma Haru idea," Toushiro said, smiling. "I haven't seen her since last time I came for arrancar watch."

"Alright then! Off to Granny's!" Karin cheered, now running ahead of Toushiro. "Race ya there, Snowball!"

Toushiro just grinned at her enthusiasm. 'She can be such a child sometimes,' the shinigami thought playfully, running after the teenage girl.

* * *

><p><strong>Grandma Haru's House<strong>

Grandma Haru was out in the lawn watering her plants, the souls living with her walking around and talking to each other, and birds were on branches shining. It was all tranquil until, "Imma beat you this time, Toushiro!" yelled a nearby voice. Everyone, even the birds, stopped what they were doing and looked up to see two teenagers running up the sidewalk, side to side, each giving the other a competitive glare. Finally the white haired teenager appeared in Grandma Haru's lawn, panting a little, followed by the black haired teenager, who bent over panting when arriving. "Crap!" the girl said still panting a little. "I'll beat you next time, midget!"

The boy turned to the girl and yelled back, "How am I midget! For the last time I'm taller than you!"

Grandma Haru walked up to the teenagers with a smile plastered on her face. "Well hello Toushiro-chan, Karin-chan. What brings you two around here?"

Both high school students looked up to the elderly lady. "Hey, Granny!" Karin said.

"Hello, Grandma Haru," Toushrio said more politely than Karin. "We came here to visit you. Is it a bad time?"

"Oh it's never a bad time for you and your girlfriend to visit, Toushiro-chan," Grandma Haru replied still smiling.

Karin and Toushiro both glared at Grandma Haru, their faces flushed from running and her statement. "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" "SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Karin and Toushiro yelled in unison each pointing at the other.

The elderly woman only giggled at their reactions. "Oh young love," Grandma Haru said rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "Come inside for some tea young ones." Gesturing her hand to the house, Karin and Toushiro went inside faces still flushed.

"Now you two stay here while I go make us all some tea," Grandma Haru said walking out of the living room.

"I'll help you, Granny." Karin followed the elderly lady into the hallway.

Sitting down on the small futon, Toushiro looked around the room. There were some pictures of Grandma Haru and her family and friends on the fireplace, there was a bookcase filled with books in different languages in the corner, a coffee table in front of Toushiro, and on the coffee table was the mini snowman made of ice that he had made for Yosuke and a picture of Grandma Haru, thirteen year old Karin and Yuzu, and Isshin all close together sitting on a picnic towel. In the photo Grandma Haru was in the right, smiling and looking innocent, next to her was Karin, a grin on her face and her right arm around Grandma Haru and her left around Yuzu, the arm around Yuzu holding up the peace sign, Yuzu on the left of Karin with a bright, optimistic smile plastered on her face, and then finally Isshin behind them all holding up a thumbs up and a childish grin on his face. Looking at the snowman, Toushiro started to think about that day when Yosuke passed on.

**Flashback (Toushiro's POV)**

"Yosuke-chan…I'm sorry," Grandma Haru was apologizing. She and Karin were sitting beside Yosuke. He had turned into a hollow after Grandma Haru's spiritual pressure began to fade. I did not wish to be the one to kill him and Grandma Haru and Karin sure did not wish for me to either, but I couldn't let him harm them or anyone else; I had to kill him. When Grandma Haru used her spiritual pressure to paralyze Yosuke I went for the kill. I jumped high into the air, screaming, and brought my sword down hard through his mask, but instead of disintegrating away Yosuke turned back into the innocent, little soul he once was.

'I'm sorry, Yosuke,' I thought. Since he wasn't destroyed as a hollow I knew he wouldn't end up in Hueco Mundo, but I still feel guilty for trying to kill him.

Yosuke started smiling. Why is he smiling? I tried to kill him and he won't be with Grandma Haru anymore, so why is he smiling? I looked to Grandma Haru and Karin and sure enough they were smiling too, but they were looking up. Then I felt something wet land on my nose. I looked up and saw snow. Wait snow! It was snowing; just the thing Yosuke wanted to see before he was sent away to the Soul Society. The snowflakes were dancing down from their haven, the sky, in different patterns and sizes, each looking like a work of art, and landing on the ground.

I looked back to Yosuke; he was holding up his hand trying to catch a snowflake. He looked so happy even while he was disintegrating away. Now, he was gone leaving behind nothing but our memories of him. "Yosuke…saw the snow didn't he?" Karin asked. I could hear the concern crystal clear in her voice.

"Yes, he sure did," Grandma Haru answered. She looked as if she were about to cry, but I knew it was from happiness not just sadness. "Right, Toushiro-chan?"

"Yeah," I replied. Yeah he saw. He wouldn't have smiled the way he did if he hadn't seen the snow.

Silently without talking, we all walked to the front door of the house. Grandma Haru was the first to speak up. "Toushiro-chan…I'm so sorry for causing you all this trouble."

"It's not your fault, Grandma Haru," I assured her.

"Is that so?"

"Say, Granny. Would it be okay if I started coming over to visit too?" I turned to Kurosaki. She wants to visit Grandma Haru more? Even after what happened? Smiling, Kurosaki continued, "There's a small soccer field nearby, so I'll bring my friends too!"

Even though I wasn't looking at her I could tell Grandma Haru was smiling. Chuckling Grandma Haru said, "My, that'll make things very lively." I looked at her, and sure enough I was right, Grandma Haru was smiling. Grandma Haru's loneliness would finally end and it was thanks to Kurosaki. Joining in with the rest, I started to smile too.

Kurosaki and I were walking down the sidewalk, the snow still falling down from the sky. We were quiet for so long I almost forgot Kurosaki was right behind me until she said, "You know, Toushiro…do you think Yosuke stopped because of Granny?" I stopped walking. Yes, I heard of the stories and rumors of hollows that stopped themselves from harming souls they once loved, but I never believed them. Even right now I'm not so sure if I believe them, and I just witnessed a hollow turning back into the soul they once were! Kurosaki continued, "I think Yosuke was battling within himself even after he turned into a monster. That's why he stopped, I think."

Frankly, I don't know what to say. I use to say that no such thing could ever happen, but now that I saw it happen before my eyes my mind is battling a war about whether or not it was real. "Who knows?" Not wanting to talk about Yosuke or staying in the World of The Living any longer I said, "I'm done with my business here, so I'll be going back."

She smiled at me. "I see! Drop by again, okay? I'll keep your name on our team's game roster!" Turning to leave, Kurosaki waved good-bye to me and said, "See you!"

Leaving me alone on the sidewalk, I watched her run away back home. "Yeah," I replied, but she couldn't hear me; she was too far away now. 'She is…she is a special person. I hope I can 'drop by' again.' Smiling, I walked away.

**Flashback End**

'Wonder if I will ever find Yosuke in the Rukon District,' Toushiro thought. The image of Karin's smile when she saw the snow appeared in the shinigami's head. Smiling, he thought, 'She looked so cute like tha-wait! Stop thinking like that, baka!'

"Hello! Earth to baka are you there?" Karin called the shinigami. Karin and grandma Haru were both sitting on the futons the opposite side of Toushiro. Karin was waving her hand in front of Toushiro's face, who again, was focusing on his thoughts and not what was going on around him.

"What is wrong with Toushiro-chan, Karin-chan?" Grandma Haru asked concerned for the white haired man.

Giving up, Karin sighed. "Nothing really, Granny. He's just in his own thoughts again, but don't worry. I have a backup plan if saying his name and waving my hand doesn't snap him out of them." Standing up, Karin walked over to Toushiro, who was oblivious to what was going on, and smacked him upside the head-hard.

Snapping out of his thoughts and rubbing the back of his head, Toushiro turned to Karin and yelled, "What the hell! What was that for, Kurosaki!"

"You were in Fantasy Land again, so I had to hit you to send you back to earth!" Karin explained, walking back to her futon.

"I wasn't in a 'Fantasy Land'! I was thinking!" Toushiro exclaimed still rubbing the back of his head.

"Well, if I have to smack you to get you to stop thinking then that should tell you that you think too hard!"

"Now, now," Grandma Haru began signaling the two high school students to calm down, "calm down young ones. I don't think it's healthy for a couple to fight this much over nothing."

Karin and Toushiro's cheeks turned scarlet. "WE'RE NOT DATING!" both yelled in unison.

"Must we say this every time we come to visit you, Grandma Haru?" Toushiro asked tired of having to say the same thing every visit.

"Who wants tea?" Grandma Haru asked holding up the tea pot and avoiding Toushiro's question.

"I do!" Karin said.

Filling a cup with tea for the teenage girl, Grandma Haru asked, "Don't you want any, Toushiro-chan? If you do not wish for any tea there are candied beans." Grandma Haru pointed to a bowl filled with candied beans on the coffee table.

Toushiro sighed. "I'll take both," Toushiro replied already reaching for the candied beans.

They all stayed there in Grandma Haru's living room eating and talking until Karin took a look at her watch; it said the time was 6:10. "Crap! It's already past six! Sorry, Granny, but we gotta go. C'mon, Toushiro," Karin yelled grabbing the shinigami's hand, "we have to get home before Yuzu starts worrying and calls the police!" Running out the door and dragging along Toushiro, Karin yelled back inside the house to the elderly woman, "Bye, Granny!"

Now running down the road, Karin was still holding onto Toushiro's hand and the white haired man did not try to pull it away from her. They stayed like that until Toushiro stopped. Being pulled back by Toushiro's sudden halt, in an irritated voice, Karin yelled, "Why'd you stop, Toushiro? Yuzu will worry if we don't get home soon!"

She didn't get an answer. Toushiro was looking off into the distance, watching the sunset. That was when Karin realized where they were; the railing where you could see the sun set upon the entire city and where she would always find Toushiro back when she was younger. She looked back at Toushiro. His face was different than those other times he was here. This time…he was smiling. "Oh…" Was all Karin could think of to say.

"Karin…" Toushiro said still watching the sky. "you can go on ahead. I'm…I'm going to stay here for a while."

"No it's alright. I'll stay here with you," Karin replied. "There are some memories I…I want to remember."

Not wanting to make Karin explain what she meant, Toushiro just stayed quiet and walked over to the railing. Since Karin and Toushiro were still holding hands he accidentally pulled Karin forward, and she would've fell if Toushiro hadn't caught her. He was now holding her by the hips and Karin's hands were on his chest. 'Holy…crap!' Both panicked in their head while their faces slowly turned scarlet, again.

Toushiro gently pushed her off of him and stuttered, "I-I'm sorry! I was tr-trying to stop you from falling!"

"I-it's alright. T-thanks for catching me," Karin replied still blushing.

Both took a seat on the railing and watched the sun set. Their hands slid down slowly on the railing until they both felt the other's hand touching theirs. They turned their heads to face each other, and slowly the space between their faces was closing.

'What the hell am I about to do! This is forbidden! I could get killed! I shouldn't be doing this!' Toushiro mentally yelled at himself, but did not try to back away.

'What the hell are you doing, Karin! Stop right now! He's a freaking shinigami taichou you freaking baka!' Karin yelled at her, but like Toushiro did not back away.

Their lips were only three inches away from each other's when Karin's phone went off. "It's getting cold in here so somebody," Blushing, Karin backed away, and grabbed her phone out of her pocket. "fire it u-Hey, Yuzu," Karin said faster than she should have.

"…" (A/N: Yuzu is talking)

"Yeah I know it's late, but I have a good reason why we're not home yet," Karin said into the phone.

"…"

Karin's face turned more red (if possible), and yelled into the phone, "NO,YUZU! WE'RE NOT LIKE THAT! Toushiro and I were just at Granny's and we lost track of ti-"

"…"

"Because the teacher I was helping today just let me go when Toushiro and I got to her class, and we didn't want to go home yet so we went to visit Granny."

"…"

"We were on our way right now, Yuzu. We should be there by," Karin checked her watch, "well,it's 6:51 right now so if we run we can make it home by seven. Alright see you when we get there. Bye." Hanging up, Karin turned to Toushiro, but quickly turned away after remembering what almost happened. "Yuzu's worried and she wants us back home now, so we better get going." Standing up, Karin jumped over the railing then ran down the road.

Toushiro, who was blushing, just watched her run away. 'I'm not sure if I'm thankful or angry that Yuzu stopped us. Wait why would I be angry!' Toushiro thought. Jumping over the railing, Toushiro ran down the road to catch up to Karin.

* * *

><p><strong>In Bushes near the Railing<strong>

A girl with purple hair took out her cellphone and quickly punched in some numbers. After about ten seconds of waiting a voice came from the phone. "Did you find anything we can use against Kurosaki?" the voice in the phone asked.

"That and I just saw something that's going to piss you off the egde," the purple haired girl said into the phone.

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you when I get to your house. It would be better to tell you in person, Hana."

"Fine, but just hurry because later I'm sneaking out to Dan's house!" Hana commanded then hanged up the phone.

Putting away her phone, the girl smirked evilly. "Heh, Hana's gonna get you good, Kurosaki, and we'll all be laughin' at ya. Including Hitsugaya!"

* * *

><p><strong>Please forgive me for any spelling or grammatical errors. Also Karin's ringtone (Fire It Up by Thousand Foot Krutch) is a hint to a later (or much later) chapter. Thx for reading :D<strong>


	4. Chapter 4

**Finally this is up! On my DA account I posted ch.3 _way_ earlier than on here so they were waiting a lot longer than you guys here****. I kinda rushed on this chapter so I'm sorry if it's not very good, and while I was writing this I noticed that this is sorta similar to Ch.3, so sorry for that too. Next week I'll be going to South Carolina and I'll be there for a week and half or 2 so I won't be uploading in awhile but I'll try my hardest to start writing ch.5 while I'm there (when my parents and brother aren't in the room)**

**In the 2nd flashback Toushiro's depressed so please don't write hate comments about how "he's not like that!" or"what the hell is this?" because how would you feel if you put your best friend or a close family member in a coma and didn't know when they would wake up or if they would die in their coma (I know I'd be depressed if I did that to my Grandmother)? So please no hate comments only constructive criticism.**

**Alrighty then, on with the show-story-whatever! Enjoy! :]  
><strong>

* * *

><p><em><span>Karakura High Soccer Field<span> _(Half the times it never unerlines with bolded words so I'm going to use _italics_ now)

High school students were sprawled all over the field panting like dogs. Although it was the middle of fall they were all sweating as if they had each eaten the spiciest chili in the world outside in one hundred and ten degrees weather. Only one girl out of all the students were actually standing, and she seemed quite angry at how the other students were all lying on the ground looking as if they might faint.

"Come on team! Get off your lazy a**es! (I'm sorry if you don't like the *s but I don't feel right writing it without it)" yelled the girl. All the students groaned.

"But, Karin-Taichou, we're tired," complained one student causing all the rest to either nod their heads or say yeah.

"Karin, maybe you should end practice now. I mean c'mon, you've had them practicing for four and a half hours non-stop." Suna said to her best friend.

"Well, I'm supposed to help by training them so I'm going to train them hard. I haven't had the chance to train them in two weeks." Karin had been assigned to help the coach again for the last day of her punishment, and he had told her that she could help by training the team. "Plus tomorrow there won't be school because of the teachers' meetings and our next game is on Saturday so I have to train the team hard."

"Well, considering they're on the ground, panting I think you've trained them hard enough," Suna replied pointing to the team.

Karin chuckled. "Yeah I guess I got carried away having fun," Karin replied, which Suna only sweatdropped to. Turning to the team, Karin yelled, "Practice is over! You can all go home now, but ready for Saturday!"

"Yes, Taichou!" everyone yelled already half way into the locker room. Watching her best friend walk over to her, Suna asked, "So you gonna do anything tomorrow?"

Grabbing her back pack from the bench Suna was sitting on, Karin swung it over her shoulder and replied, "I don't know. Probably go play soccer with Toushiro."

Suna giggled causing Karin to glare at her; whenever Suna giggled it never turned out good for Karin. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Suna said walking off.

"No I wanna know why you giggled," Karin said commandingly following after the short girl.

"Well…" Suna began ringing out the well, "I just find it…surprising-yeah let's go with that…surprising that you're going to be with Hitsugaya-san."

Karin shot a death glare that would have sent anyone running, but being friends with Karin for so long had made Suna immune to the glare. "Suna…"

"What? I'm only saying how I find it surprising that you are going to hang out with the boy you like," Suna said as innocently as a person holding down a smirk and laugh could.

Karin's eye began to twitch, and with her arms swishing around above her head, Karin yelled, "For the gagillionth time I don't like Toushiro! Why do you think that I like him-scratch that. If you answer you'll just be giving me a million answers each crappier than the last one."

Ignoring Karin's statement, Suna explained, "Well, you're always with him, you always eat lunch together, the way you look at him, the way he makes you smile-"

"Woah, woah, woah! The way I look at him! The way he makes me smile! What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, admit it, Karin," Suna said, smirking, "You like him; y'know ya do, and I bet he likes you too."

"When will you stop spewing crap out your mouth?" Karin asked now very irritated.

"I never started," Suna answered closing her eyes and walking faster.

Catching up to the short brown haired girl, Karin shook her head and mumbled, "I still don't know how I became best friends with you."

"Well, tell me why you don't think he likes you?" Suna asked after a few minutes of silent walking.

"Well, we're complete opposites. He can be so silent and I'm not, he's a workaholic and I can't stand work, he-" Karin began to list until rudely interrupted.

"And yet you still like him," Suna said not really having listened to what Karin had said.

Karin huffed. "Can we just drop the subject and talk about something else?"

"_Fine_," Suna said slightly disappointed. She always did like annoying Karin about her feelings for Toushiro even if Karin never told the girl of having such feelings Suna knew they were there, but, even if it wasn't obviously implied, she also did try convincing Karin to do something about them. "What are you doing when you get home?"

Suna could see Karin visibly tense up at the question. "Yuzu's taking me" -Karin gulped- "clothes shopping," Karin answered shuddering.

Placing a hand on Karin's shoulder, Suna sympathetically said, "I feel so sorry for you." Now arriving at the Kurosaki residence, Suna removed her hand from Karin's shoulder and ran away, yelling, "I'll pray for you!"

Karin slowly started walking towards the door, savoring her last moments of peace. Yuzu was a terrible shopping fanatic; if someone could be addicted to shopping it was Yuzu. She was almost worse than Rangiku.

Karin shuddered again at the memory of having to go with the both of them on a shopping spree while Toushiro was out fighting hollows. Yuzu and Rangiku had taken her to a beauty salon where the employees had to strap her down to restrain her, and even while she was down she was fidgeting as much as she could to stop the employees. That day Yuzu and Rangiku had returned to the Kurosaki residence with over fifty shopping bags, dead credit cards, and a very pissed off Karin wearing a sundress, makeup, and nail polish.

Surely enough she had avoided ever shopping with the both of them together again. Yuzu still was bad though so Karin ran away from her twin whenever the word shopping came out of her mouth but now she would not be able to avoid shopping because she really did need new clothing for Fall. Karin had tried to convince Yuzu that she could just wear her school uniform but the brown haired girl would not take no for an answer this time.

Slowly opening the door a crack, Karin caught a peek at a long strawberry blonde hair. Only one person with hair like that would be at the Kurosaki residence on the day she was supposed to go shopping. 'Rangiku! No, no, no , no, NO!' panicked Karin in her mind.

Turning on her heels, Karin ran towards the public sidewalk, but before she could have the chance to run to Suna's house she was tackled to the ground. Karin didn't even need to look up to know who it was. "Get off me, Rangiku!"

"Is that anyway to say hello?" Rangiku teased not letting the fact that she was on top of Karin ruin her mood.

Wishing she could turn her head to send glares at the older woman but couldn't unless she wanted her face in the older woman's breasts, Karin yelled, "Rangiku!"

"Karin-chan," said a soft voice. The black haired girl looked up from the side walk to a brown haired girl in front of her. "You promised! Please don't leave, Karin-chan! We'll have a great time!" Yuzu tried to convince her twin.

"That's what you said the first time I went with you two and it turned into the worst day of my life!" Karin retorted. "Besides, what'll Otōsan say when you max out his credit cards again?"

As if on cue, Isshin appeared next to Yuzu looking tenser than Karin did before Rangiku found it necessary to tackle the younger Kurosaki (which it probably was). Connecting his fingers together repeatedly (imagine from The Simpsons), Isshin said, "Y-Yuzu-chan, my precious daughter, I'm going to have to keep my credit cards this time. I-I'll give you some money though-"

"WHAT!" Rangiku yelled now on her feet in front of the male Kurosaki. Narrowing her eyes and pointing at Isshin, she continued, "What do you mean you're keeping the credit cards? We need those to buy all the clothes we want!"

"W-well Rangiku-chan I-I need to pay money for the things you put on my credit cards," Isshin, who was clearly intimidated by the blonde woman, explained. Rangiku continued to glare at Isshin for another ten minutes until finally he gave up. Sighing and holding a credit card out to the busty woman, Isshin said, "Alright but you can only use one credit card!"

Rangiku snatched away the credit card from the Kurosaki and smiled. "That's better!" Turning to Yuzu, Rangiku screamed, "C'mon, Yuzu, shopping time!"

"But, Rangiku-chan, what about Karin-chan?" At this question Rangiku turned to where the black haired girl was last she saw her, and noticed she was gone.

"HELL NO!" Everyone turned to Yuzu and Karin's opened bedroom window and saw a very angry looking Karin. "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" At the ending to this sentence Karin slammed the window shut, pulled down the curtains, and locked the door to the bedroom. Sighing, Karin picked up a book from her desk and began reading.

After less than a minute of reading Matsumoto's head popped open the vent door causing it to fall to the ground. "Does that mean when you come to the Soul Society I can take you shopping?" Rangiku asked still upside down.

"YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE _AND_ DEAD!" Karin yelled. Before she could open the window to jump out Matsumoto exited the air vent and restrained Karin with a hug. Kicking her legs everywhere, Karin began to unceasingly scream, "LET GO OF ME, RANGIKU! LET GO OR THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY! RANGIKU!"

"Karin-chan…" Karin stopped kicking and yelling when she heard the voice. "Karin-chan…" Karin's head turned to the door with a look of worry on her face. "Karin-chan," the voice behind the shut door said again but more weakly this time, "you promised. Please, Karin-chan, come with us."

It was Yuzu. A wave of guilt smashed against Karin at hearing her twin pleading; only her twin sister could ever make her feel so guilty even when she did not do anything wrong. Karin could just imagine the puppy dog look Yuzu could be using behind that door. Karin sighed. "Fine."

"What?" Rangiku said, her eyes blinking a mile a minute.

"I said fine," Karin grumbled. "I'll go shopping… with you guys."

Karin winced at the squeals emitting from the older woman hugging her and sister from behind the door. 'This is going to be a long day,' Karin mentally sighed, but then scowled. 'Toushiro'll pay for leaving me here with them.'

_Railing_

Toushiro shivered. 'That was weird. Why did I shiver just then?' Toushiro thought, looking up at the sky. The sun was beginning to descend; all the clouds' white color was changing into a golden yellow, the sky was turning a calming orange, and the birds were all flying back to their nests for the night, but Toushiro just could not enjoy the scenery for his mind was elsewhere. Toushiro was replaying his earlier conversation with Rangiku in his mind.

**Flashback **(This is in third person like the rest because I do not enjoy writing first person as much as this, plus third person is easier for me)

School had ended for the day and Toushiro was quietly sitting on the railing, scowling and tapping away on his phone, when he felt something heavy on his shoulders and two hands cover his eyes. "Guess who," a voice rang out.

"Get off me, Matsumoto," Toushiro said nonchalantly.

Surprised, Rangiku pulled back. "How'd you know it was me?"

"What person would just go up to a random stranger and cover their eyes?" Toushiro replied continuing to tap away on his phone.

"Well, Taichou, you are a good looking young man now, so what girl wouldn't try that on you?" Rangiku said winking at her white haired taichou.

Still not turning to look at his fukotaichou, Toushiro said, "Knock it off, Matsumoto. I need to finish this report."

Rangiku pouted. "Oh c'mon, Taichou! That report isn't due 'till Saturday so relax! Or" Rangiku began in a teasing voice, "are you just trying to send it today so you'll have time for Karin-chan's game on Saturday?" At the mention of Karin's name Toushiro's mind flashed him images of what happened, or almost happened, the day before at the same railing he was sitting at now. Honestly, the memory had been plaguing his mind all day and it is because of that memory that he had been avoiding Karin all day, which is why he spent the school day paying attention to the lesson the teacher was teaching and going out to patrol during lunch. Rangiku giggled watching her taichou's cheeks turn red while the expression on his face stayed the same; she thought it was so adorable when that happened. Pinching his cheek, Rangiku said, "Awwww, is Taichou thinking about what happened yesterday?"

Toushiro's eyes widened for a second before what his fukotaichou said sank in and his scowl immediately deepened. Rangiku had followed them again and she saw what! Closing his phone and shoving it into his pocket, the white haired taichou turned to the older woman. "You were following us-again!" Toushiro yelled more like a statement than a question. Matsumoto immediately took her hand off Toushiro's cheek and took a few steps away from him, now realizing what she said probably was not the smartest thing to have said.

Rangiku laughed nervously. "Woopsie,"

"Why do you insist on following us!"

Rangiku's tone turned a little serious. "Why do you insist on not admitting your feelings for Karin?"

"Matsumoto, I-"

"Taichou…" Toushiro stopped talking; Rangiku's voice was stern but also soft. When she saw that her taichou wouldn't interrupt Rangiku continued. "Taichou, you cannot try and say you do not have feelings for Karin because I know you do. Karin can make you do things you wouldn't normally do like put off paperwork, play games, she can even make that scowl of yours turn into a smile. I know you refuse to admit it, even to yourself, but you cannot avoid it forever; you love Kurosaki Karin!"

Toushiro was silent, his face deadpan. The sternness in Rangiku's voice disappeared but the softness stayed as she said, "Please, Taichou, at least think about what I'm telling you." And with that, the blonde woman left, leaving the white haired taichou to his thoughts.

**Flashback End**

So Toushiro stayed at the railing, completely forgetting about his report, and just thought about what Rangiku had said. _You love Kurosaki Karin, you love Kurosaki Karin, you love Kurosaki Karin_; these are the words that have been repeating inside Toushiro's mind. 'Could I really _love Kurosaki_?' Toushiro asked himself in between the unceasing repeats of flashbacks and words.

Memories of Karin and him were popping up in his head, each causing a heavy feeling in his chest to appear. Toushiro always wondered about that feeling in his chest whenever he was near the girl but always passed it off as an effect of staying near a Kurosaki with high spiritual pressure, but now he was thinking hard about whether it was like what Momo described she felt whenever she was with her boyfriend, Izuru Kira.

"Oi, mister," Toushiro snapped out of his thoughts and looked to his left. There was a young boy, probably the age of 6, staring at him. "Whats are wous dowings outs at this time, mister? Shouldn'ts wous be home?"

"I was just watching the" That is when Toushiro stopped talking because he noticed the sunset was gone and was replaced with stars and the moon.

"Whats were wous watchings, mister?" the little boy asked, looking up at the sky to look for what Toushiro was watching.

"Nevermind," Toushiro mumbled.

"Wous shwould go homes, mister. It's dark ands-"

"There you are!" said a woman, grabbing the boy's arm. "Why did you run off like that?"

"I wants know why hes was heres by himselfs," the boy said, pointing to Toushiro.

The woman looked at Toushiro and gave him a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry about my son. He just thinks that if a person stays out late monsters will go get them."

"Theys will, and I dwon'ts wants anywones hurt," the boy retorted.

Again, the woman chuckled nervously. "My son he's always wanting to protect everyone." Said boy started to yawn and wipe his eyes. "It's past your bedtime we should get you home."

"No!" The boy said pulling away from the woman and next to Toushiro. "Mes wants ta stay and mwake sures mister gets home safe." The boy yawned again and his eye lids started to drop and he spoke much softer. "And mwes…wants help…Mommy with shop…pwing bags."

The boy began to fall and Toushiro caught him before he landed on the ground. Toushiro looked up at the mother, and the boy was right she had shopping bags covering both her arms. "Here I'll…um…" the woman began, trying to make room on her arms for the boy.

"I can carry him," Toushiro offered. He honestly did want to help the boy but the boy was more of an excuse for Toushiro to not go to the Kurosaki home where he would see…her.

"Are you sure? Don't you need to go home?"

"No it is fine," Toushiro replied, picking up the boy.

Smiling, the woman said, "Alright then. Follow me…um…I'm sorry but you did not introduce yourself. Heh, I guess I didn't introduce myself either; sorry." Stretching out a hand, which was partly occupied holding a grocery bag, she said, "Hello I'm Seu Winry and that boy you're holding there is Seu Hoshi."

Shaking the hand, Toushiro replied, "Hitsugaya Toushiro, but please call me by my surname."

"Alright then, Hitsugaya-san, follow me," the woman said, walking away with Toushiro following behind. The pair walked for a few minutes before Seu spoke up. "So, Hitsugaya-san, what's going on in that mind of yours? You look pretty anxious."

Toushiro's scowl deepened a little, and he was about to say there was nothing on his mind until he saw the look on her face; it was the same look of concern Rangiku has on her face whenever she was worried about him. 'Well, it's not like I will ever see her again so why not?' Toushiro thought debating whether or not to tell the woman about his problem.

"Look, it's alright. You don't need to tell me; I only wanted to know if I could he-"

"It is about a friend," Toushiro mumbled softly.

Seu's eyes lit up, happy to have him talking, but didn't change the look on her face. "What about this friend?"

"Whenever I am around her I have this…feeling….in my chest."

Seu started laughing causing the white haired man to glare at her. She continued for a few more seconds, irritating Toushiro, and then said, "A friend of mine said the same thing to his mother when he was your age. Every time he was around that girl he felt as if chest would explode."

"How do you know-"

"Well, it's pretty obvious, Hitsugaya-san. Now would you like to hear the rest of that story?" Toushiro nodded and Seu continued. "So my friend told his mother about the feeling he had and his mother told him that he loved the girl. This had completely caught him off guard because he had been best friends with the girl since grade school and she was his best friend, so the boy started to avoid her for awhile hoping that if he were away from her long enough the feeling would go away and their friendship would be the same as it always was to him. Now this infuriated the girl so, after three weeks of being avoided, she went right to his house and demanded to see him. She also demanded that he tell her the reason as to why he had been avoiding her. After my friend told her his feelings toward the girl she returned them and so began their relationship as a couple. Time passed by and they went from dating to marriage and together had a beautiful baby boy named Hoshi."

Toushiro looked down at the boy in his arms. "But-"

"But nothing! Look, Hitsugaya-san, I had the same feelings for the man I love and now he's my husband. The feeling doesn't lie, Hitsugaya-san; you are in love with that girl." Arriving at her home, Seu took Hoshi from Toushiro and said, "Well, thank you for your help, Hitsugaya-san, and I hope I might've helped _you_ a little."

Toushiro did not reply he just walked away, heading to the Kurosaki residence. 'Even a stranger thinks I am in love with Kurosaki,' Toushiro mentally groaned. 'Hyourinmaru, Matsumoto, Hebi-san, hell the whole world probably thinks I'm in love with Kurosaki! Next thing I know Kami'll come to me in a vision and tell me I'm in love with her!'

Opening the door to the Kurosaki home, Toushiro thought, 'Why does everyone think that I am in love with Kurosa-' Toushiro stopped his sentence upon seeing a woman in the arm rest across from the door. The soul reaper walked over to her only to find out that it was the girl he was thinking about. 'Kurosaki?' Karin was in a pink, frilly sundress with smeared makeup and water on her face. 'Matsumoto and her sister must have taken her shopping again; looks like she tried to take off the makeup.' Toushiro grabbed a wet towel from the kitchen, walked back to the sleeping Kurosaki, and softly wiped the makeup off Karin's face.

Gently, to not wake her up, Toushiro picked Karin up bridal style and began to carry her to her room. While walking, Toushiro stared at her face; Karin never really had any special features that would split her from a normal group of high school girls but Toushiro could not help to stare. Little streams of water were still falling down her face. The streams of water were reminding Toushiro of one of his oldest and, though he would not admit it to anyone, precious memories with Karin.

**Flashback**

Toushiro was a wreck-his mind was in utter chaos, he smelled terrible, and he was weak from lack of eating. It has been two months since he put Momo into a coma and he did not feel any less guilty. How could he not? He almost killed his closest friend, the one he considers his own sister! He felt like crying but had too much pride to let any tears out, even when he was alone.

Everyone tried to snap him out of his depression but all failed-his squad, Ichigo, Rukia, Ukitake, Rangiku, even Hyourinmaru! He declined any help, refused food, and, for the first two weeks, would not do any paperwork-during that time Rangiku did all the work herself to help out her taichou. Rangiku practically had to feed him herself so he would not die from starvation.

The second month of his depression was the first month he and Matsumoto were given the "Arrancar/Espada Watch" assignment. Every day of that month was the same; he would go sit at the railing all day and night, watching the sky, and Rangiku would bring his food to him, which he never finished. All days were the same except the last day the day Karin appeared again.

Rangiku had brought him his food but he did not move an inch from his spot; he could not care less about the food. He was watching the sun descend when he heard "Hey, you're back", but he did not turn to find out the source of the voice.

"Yo, Toushiro, you there!" Now there was a hand waving in front of Toushiro's face, which he simply ignored. "Toushiro!" yelled the voice as the back of his head was hit and he fell to the ground. Standing up, Toushiro saw the one who was calling him, Karin Kurosaki. "Just cause you're a taichou doesn't give you the right to be ignorant!" she roared.

When Toushiro just sat back down on the railing without uttering a word or sound Karin started to worry. "Are you alright, Toushiro?" She did not receive a response, but she could tell he was disturbed. He looked the way she and Yuzu did when Ichigo had been missing for all those weeks. Sitting beside him on the railing, Karin asked again, "Are you alright, Toushiro?" Again, she did not receive a response. "Something bad has happened to someone very close to you so now you're depressed," Karin stated in a serious tone.

On the outside Toushiro had the same expression but on the inside Toushiro was quite surprised; in the Soul Society it took everyone a week to figure out that he was sad and it only took Ichigo's younger sister less than five minutes and she did not even know him. Toushiro turned his head slightly to the girl; she was looking up at the sky with a serious face and eyes filled with remembrance and concern. What did she have to be concerned about? She was a living, breathing human with a normal life and no cares in the world.

This concern in her eyes…this concern that she had inside her…it was enraging Toushiro-the only thing he has felt in two months. "What do you have to be concerned about?" Toushiro grumbled, the most words he has said in two months. "You are a human! You live without a care in the world!" Almost yelling now, Toushiro said, "There is nothing you could be concerned with!"

Karin began to chuckle a little causing Toushiro to completely turn his head to face the girl. "You'd think so, but no. Not all of us are care free, not all of us can be that lucky. At least...not my family."

Although, Toushiro was curious as to what Karin could be talking about what she said enraged him more. "How could you not be care free! Your closest friend wasn't severely injured by you because of some d*mn bastard! You didn't put your closest friend, the one you consider a sister, into a coma where you don't know when she'll wake up!" At this point Toushiro was yelling and closed his eyes to keep from crying, which he was close to. "You are not the one whose closest friend will hate you for the rest of your life!"

Toushiro felt something land gently on his shoulder. He opened his eyes to see Karin smiling sadly at him. "They won't hate you. If you two are that close that you'd feel guilty enough to smell like this I know they won't hate you." Karin said, attempting to be humorous but failing.

"I don't need your pity," Toushiro said, his voice cracking while he attempted to push her arm off but was too weak and tired to try.

"It's okay you can cry here. I won't tell anyone."

Irritated, Toushiro argued back, "I do _not_ need your pity and I do _not _need to cry."

"Toushiro, everybody cries," Karin attempted to convince Hitsugaya.

"I bet you don't cry," Toushiro retorted then went back to watching the sky. Although Toushiro did not know the girl she looked like the type who would never dare cr-

"Yeah I do." Stunned, Toushiro turned back to the eleven year old girl. "When I saw Ichigo leave that day to train I wanted to cry because I didn't know what would happen to him, but I knew if I cried in front of him he would have stayed with us-his family-instead going off to train and then to war. I didn't cry in front of him because I knew you all needed him to save your world-to save ours, but when he left I began to cry because…I already lost my mother and I do_ not_ want to lose my brother." Karin eyes were shut tight and both her hands were balled up into fists. "It's because of Ichigo that I cried after our mother died. It's because of Ichigo Yuzu, Otōsan, I worried about him for weeks, and it's because of him Yuzu cried all those weeks!"

"But...it's alright to cry," Karin's hands began to loosen, "because…it shows you care, and you might as well be a person who has a lust for blood and killing if you don't cry (coughcoughKenpachicoughcough)." Putting her hand back on Toushiro's shoulder and smiling, Karin said, "Now cry because it's pretty obvious you want to."

Memories of his and Momo's childhood flooded into Toushiro's head-them argueing, them eating together, them with Grandma, them watching the sunset, Momo leaving for the academy-,and then the memory of him pushing his sword through her stomach, Momo's blood staining both of them, and Momo using the last of her strength to say "Shiro-chan". Toushiro could not hold it in any longer and he began to cry. He stayed there at the railing crying while Karin rubbed his back until midnight. Wiping away the last of his tears, Toushiro said, "It is late. You should go home, Kurosaki."

When Toushiro turned his head to face the girl she was sitting straight up asleep. Toushiro shook his head. "If she was tired she should have gone home," the white haired man said. Picking Karin up bridal style, Toushiro flash stepped all the way to the Kurosaki home and inside Karin's bedroom. Toushiro softly laid Karin down on her bed and covered her with the blanket. He continued to stand where he was, starring at Karin. Smiling for the first time since Momo's coma, Toushiro whispered, "Thank you, Kurosaki." Toushiro took one last glance at Karin and then left.

**Flashback End**

When Toushiro snapped out of his memory he was inside Karin and Yuzu's bedroom starring at Karin, who was in bed with the blanket covering her. The moonlight from the window shined on Karin's serene face making it look like that of a sleeping angel's. 'Kurosaki...' Toushiro thought, his heart speeding up and the feeling in his chest returning. 'No, no, no! I couldn't be!' Toushiro's heart sped up more and more and the feeling in his chest was threatening to tear him apart inside. 'I...I'm in love...with Kurosaki Karin.'

* * *

><p><strong>I think this is the 1st chapter I've made where it doesn't end with a mysterious person or someone stalking Karin and Toushiro. So what do you all think with this ending? I planned on him realising this later on in the story but instead I made it pretty early so I'm sorry to you (and me a little) if you think it's to early. <strong>

**Anyway please give me your opinions and any suggestions you might have! See ya until next chapter :]  
><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**I'm so sorry for taking _so long_ to upload! At least it came out before August, right? (by one day) I have 2 excuses for why that is but I'm sure you don't wanna hear about, so I'm only going to say that I'm going to have less time to make chapters and upload (here's a sorry in advance: Sorry! Gomen!) To pay you guys back for your patience I made this chapter extra long - over 8,000 words! New record for me! Finally, enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer: Isn't it obvious already that I don't own Bleach? If it isn't I'll repeat myself: I do not own Bleach; my proof: Ulquiorra died and I would _never_ have killed him off the show (one of my top 5 favorite Bleach guys *-*)**

* * *

><p><em><span>Kurosaki Home<span>_

_"Ugh, I wish Yuzu didn't go to that d*mn sleepover. She deserves a break, yeah, but I hate doing the freakin' laundry!" Karin complained, throwing random pieces of clothing in the washing machine._

_"I don't think that is how you wash laundry," said a voice._

_"Shut up, Toushiro. I'm not in the mood," complained Karin._

_"Fine, Matsumoto just wanted to know if you could wash our clothes for us," Toushiro asked holding up a basket full of dirty clothing._

_"Sure just throw 'em anywhe-wh-what are you doing!" Karin shouted at Toushiro, who was taking off his shirt._

_"What?" Toushiro asked completely confused._

_"Why are you taking off your shirt?" Karin asked, a blush creeping onto her face._

_"I've been wearing it for the past two days; it's dirty," Toushiro answered holding up the shirt._

_"Well then why didn't you take off your shirt upstairs so you could put on a clean one afterwards!" Karin shouted, covering her eyes a little._

_"I don't have any clean shirts." Toushiro smirked. "Don't tell me I'm making you _**_uncomfortable_**_."_

_'Hell he looks hot,' Karin thought, gulping. "W-what? Please I've seen shirtless guys in the clinic before," Karin retorted, turning her attention back to the pile of dirty clothes on the ground._

_Toushiro's smirk grew larger as he asked, "Did they make you blush as much as you are now?"_

_"I'm not blushing! I'm...I'm just really hot."_

_"Hmm maybe I can cool you off," Toushiro said, turning Karin around and bringing their faces closer to each other. The space between their faces continued to close until Toushiro stopped, and started yelling, "Wake up, Karin-chan! Wake up!"_

Karin opened her eyes to find Yuzu shaking her. "Karin-chan, wake up! You can't spend an entire free day in bed!"

"I'm awake, I'm awake," Karin grumbled. 'D*mn it, Yuzu, why'd you wake me up! Ah, what the hell am I thinking?' "What time is it?"

"One o'clock," Yuzu replied.

"It's still too early to wake up," Karin said before pulling the covers over her head.

"Oh no you don't! You need to get out of bed and go do something!" Yuzu commanded, attempting to pull the covers away.

"No, it's too early!" Karin argued holding onto the covers.

"It's already the afternoon, Karin-chan! How is that early?" Yuzu asked, still pulling.

"Ask an owl."

"Fine then, I guess I'll go ask someone else if they wanna come with Jinta-kun and I to watch _Fast Five_," Yuzu said, walking slowly to the door.

"Fast Five! You have tickets to Fast Five?" Karin exclaimed now in front of Yuzu, shaking her by the shoulders.

"Mhm," Yuzu replied after Karin stopped shaking her, "but since you don't want to leave your bed today I'll just go find some other peop-"

"I'll go, I'll go!" Karin yelled, now shaking Yuzu harder than before.

"Ka-a-a-ari-in-cha-an!" Yuzu said while being shook like a maraca.

"Huh woops, gomen, Yuzu," Karin apologized letting go of her twin, "I forgot what I was shaking. Wait, were you about to say people right before I said I'll go?"

"Yeah," Yuzu said dizzy. "I was going to see if Hitsugaya-san wanted to come, but now that you're out of bed can you go ask him? He's on the roof and I'm afraid I'll slip if I go up there."

"Uh yeah sure, Yuzu. Just let me change out of my pajamas," Karin responded less energized and heading towards her closet.

"Alrighty then! Tell him the movie starts at six so we're leaving at five thirty!" Yuzu said completely oblivious to the change in Karin's mood.

While changing, Karin thought about the events that occurred two days ago. She was so confused; she had been trying to kiss Toushiro! Toushiro! He was her best friend and she tried to kiss him! Why would she go and do something like that to someone she had no feelings for, or at least she thought she had no feelings for him. Her friends, Rangiku, and Yuzu did have a point; she was always with him whenever he came, they told each other everything there is to know about the other, they always had the other's back, they – 'Stop thinking that, Karin! There's nothing like that going on between you and Toushiro! It's just your d*mn teenage hormones! Why do I even have hormones? They're for girly girls not tomboys!' Karin yelled at herself.

Karin wanted to explain herself, although she wasn't sure what she was going to say to him and had considered saying teenage hormones, but never had the chance since he had been avoiding her the previous day, so whilst she was with Rangiku and Yuzu she decided that she would act like it never happened. If it never happened he wouldn't have to continue avoiding her and she wouldn't have to explain herself.

Now that Karin thought about it, he had been causing her to blush a lot lately more than usual, usual being once a year or not at all. 'Looks like the hormones have finally caught up to me,' Karin thought sourly. 'Ugh, this is such a pain.'

After Karin was done changing she walked to the bedroom's open window and climbed out. Hanging onto the railing, Karin peeked up to catch a glimpse of the white haired boy's back. 'Well here goes nothing,' Karin thought before climbing all the way onto the roof.

Toushiro was on the roof watching the sky and the citizens of Karakura who were walking on the sidewalks. He hadn't been able to sleep at all last night after discovering his feelings for Karin. He wasn't sure what he was going to do about it, was he supposed to tell her or keep it to himself. Hyourinmaru tried to help him but he pushed him away saying "I want to be alone", which caused Toushiro to receive a snarky retort about how he is inside him so he can never be alone before Hyourinmaru stopped talking.

He was still thinking about whether or not to tell her when he heard a voice. "Yo, Toushiro!" Toushiro turned around. Toushiro saw it was the girl he'd been thinking about all night, though it wasn't really a surprise since she's the only one who calls him by his first name. Sitting next to Toushiro, Karin waved to him and said, "Morning, Toushiro!"

"It's afternoon, Kurosaki," Toushiro said casually, pretending as if her presence wasn't causing any more malfunctions in his head or his heart to speed faster. 'Can souls even have a pulse?'

"A "hello" would have sufficed. Anyway, you wanna come with Yuzu, Jinta, and me to the movies?" Karin asked.

"Yeah sure, it's not like I have anything to do today," Toushiro replied nonchalantly.

"What's that supposed to mean? That anything else would have been better than going with us to the movies?" Karin asked threateningly one of her hands curled into a fist.

Toushiro backed away a little. "What? No, I just meant-" Then Karin burst out laughing. Confused and annoyed, Toushiro asked, "What's so funny?"

"We've been friends for so long and you still can't tell when I'm joshing ya!" Karin replied back after she was done laughing, wiping away a non-existent tear for good measure.

"I wouldn't consider threatening someone to be "joshing"," Toushiro grumbled arms crossed against his chest.

'Guess he's pretending it never happened either,' Karin thought, but this thought only caused her to feel angry. "How would you know anyway? You're not much of a josher!"

"That's because joshers are boats."

"Oi, Toushiro, don't be such a smarta-" _Grrrrr_. Karin stopped talking and looked down to her stomach. _Grrrrr_.

Following her line of eyesight, Toushiro could visibly see her stomach moving with each _grrrrr_ sound. Toushiro smirked. "Looks like someone's hu-" This time Toushiro looked down at his own stomach. _Grrrrr_. Well, he was on the roof the entire time it would only make sense that no one tried to go up to the roof to bring him breakfast.

"Heh, looks like we both skipped out on breakfast. C'mon let's go get somethin' to eat," Karin said before grabbing Toushiro's hand. When their hands connected both Karin and Toushiro felt the same chill down their spine from the previous Karakura soccer game, but instead of holding on to the hand and watching their enclosed hands like the last time Karin let go almost immediately. 'Just like at the game. Urgh, I can't let these stupid hormones ruin our friendship,' Karin thought. Avoiding eye contact with the white haired boy, Karin said, "Well, c'mon then! You're hungry aren't cha?" Karin ran back to the edge of the roof and quickly climbed through the open window and back inside the house.

Toushiro, who was left with semi-widened eyes and a small blush on his face, smacked his forehead. "Baka! Baka! Baka!" Toushiro grumbled, smacking his forehead on each "baka". When he felt the chill Toushiro looked into the eyes of the black haired girl and what he saw gave him the answer to his problem; never. He would never dare tell Kurosaki Karin how he felt about her not after seeing the discomfort and need to get away from him in her eyes. 'Well, it looks like I found my answer,' Toushiro thought disappointed.

Why was he disappointed? It wasn't as if he expected her to feel the same way he felt about her with him but that did not take away his disappointment. Although there was something else in her eyes, something he couldn't make out, but it was so faint and left so quickly Toushiro wasn't sure if it was ever really there. Somewhere in the back of his head a voice called out a suggestion but he paid it no heed.

"Hitsugaya-san! Hitsugaya-san, you need to hurry or Karin-chan's going to eat what's left of breakfast!"

"I'm coming Kurosaki-san!" Toushiro yelled but his throat felt weak so it only came out as a mumble.

Toushiro composed himself before, slowly, entering the house through Ichigo's bedroom window and walked the down the stairs to the kitchen. Opening the door, he could see Karin sitting on a chair at the table and a large amount of food disappearing out of thin air. The disappointment was still registered in Toushiro's mind as he slowly walked to the table and began eating, at a slower pace than the Kurosaki, the meal.

Karin leaned back in her chair and put her hands behind her head. "Ah, I'll never get tired of Yuzu's cooking," Karin stated satisfied.

"Mhm," Toushiro replied not really paying attention.

Karin stared at Toushiro. She wasn't sure but she could see there was something wrong with him. "Toushiro, did you get any sleep last night?" Karin asked, taking a wild guess.

"No," Toushiro stated bluntly before adding a lie. "I was up writing my report. Why?"

"You just look tired, that's all. I know what'll wake you up!" Karin hollered before running out the room. A second later she returned to the kitchen with her soccer bag slung over her shoulder and a huge grin plastered on her face. "SOCCER!"

Before Toushiro had the chance to respond Karin, careful not to touch his hand, grabbed his wrist and began to drag him out of the house with her. "Hey, Kar... in. What's she in a rush for, Yuzu-chan?"

"I don't know, Jinta-kun, but if she's taking Hitsugaya-san with her they must be going on a date!" Yuzu squealed, drifting off into a reverie of her twin sister and the white haired boy out on a date.

Jinta sweatdropped. "Uh, I don't think Karin's taking him on a date, Yuzu-ch-" Jinta began until a yell interrupted him.

"JINTA!" Karin appeared in front of Jinta out of nowhere, fury filled eyes set in a murderous glare, grabbed him by his shirt collar and began to shake him back and forth faster than a shinigami could shunpo. "IF YOU DO ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE TO YUZU WHILE I'M GONE I'MMA BEAT ALL THE LIVING HELL OUTTA YOU, MAKE URAHARA CREATE A HELL I CAN STUFF INSIDE OF YOU SO I CAN BEAT MORE HELL OUTTA YOU, THEN SEND YOU DOWN THERE SO THE DEVIL CAN DO WHATEVER YOU DID TO HER WITH YOU! YOU HEAR ME?"

"Uh huh," Jinta said dizzy and sick after Karin stopped shaking him.

"Good," Karin said, smiling. As soon as she let go of Jinta he headed for the nearest bathroom. "My work here's done. See ya, Yuzu, see ya, Jinta!" Karin said, leaving, while Jinta watched his breakfast escape his mouth with Yuzu beside him rubbing his back.

Toushiro gulped; even if it was common in the Kurosaki household, listening to Karin's terrifying threats to the red headed boy and his vomiting every two months made him very uneasy. At least with the oldest Kurosaki Hanakari didn't vomit, and the same went for Toushiro, although he'd always argue back saying that Ichigo's thoughts about what his intentions were of Karin were wrong.

"Back, let's go!" Karin cheered walking towards the soccer field with Toushiro walking beside her.

_Soccer Field_

"C'mon! You tired already, wuss?"

"Urusai! You slept until one in the afternoon I didn't sleep at all!"

"Well then you should've slept, midget!"

Grumbling, Toushiro made his way down the field, lightly tapping the white and black ball a few inches ahead of him. He and Karin had been playing soccer for three hours and after the first two hours of one-on-one matches, which ended up as ties, Karin had asked Toushiro to help her master the bicycle kick the same kick he used when Karin and her friends met him by the railing. Karin was determined to learn the bicycle kick. So far all her attempts had been futile; she would either fall on her back when she didn't flip all the way or flip all the way, miss the ball, and land on her butt.

Now ten feet away from the raven haired girl Toushiro chip passed the ball towards her head. The ball was coming hard and fast but that was how Karin requested it to be so she got ready in her stance, closed her eyes, and waited for when her instincts told her to kick. 'Now!' Jumping high into the air, Karin was in the middle of turning her body backwards when (A/N: Karin's phone ringing; her ringtone) _It's getting cold in here so_- "Gaaaah!" Karin screamed losing concentration and falling flat on her chest. Angrily Karin fished out her cell phone from her pocket. _it u_- "WHAT!" Karin screamed into the speaker.

"…"

"Oh, it's you, Yuzu. What's up?" Karin huffed into the phone, getting up from the ground.

"…"

"It's only four we still have some time before we gotta go."

"…"

"Yuzu, why would we need an _hour_ to get ready?"

"…"

Karin sniffed her arm pit, scaring Toushiro a little. "Alright we're coming. See ya," Karin said before hanging up the phone. Karin turned to Toushiro. "C'mon we're going home! Yuzu says we gotta take a shower before we go to the movies!"

"Alright," Toushiro replied, sauntering over to Karin. He was pretty tired, to say the least, from playing for so long and not having slept the night before had not helped him very much, so he was glad that Yuzu had called and stopped them. Now walking alongside the girl on the sidewalk, Toushiro asked, "So what movie are we going to watch?"

"Fast Five!" Karin yelled with a glint of enthusiasm in her eyes, throwing her fist in the air. Toushiro couldn't help but let a small smile form on his face after catching the glint in her eyes. She just looked so… she just looked so… cute. He had always thought of her that way but he didn't like to think it since they were friends and it would be weird for one friend to think the other of cute. Were friends? No, they're still only friends so thinking that is still weird.

'Only friends…' Toushiro thought numbly. The title didn't suit well for Toushiro but what could he do? She obviously didn't feel for him what he felt for her, and besides he was a shinigami and shinigami were forbidden to have relationships with humans.

"Yo, Toushiro. Hello~! Anyone in there?" Karin asked, waving her hand in front of the shinigami taichou's face.

"Yes, Kurosaki, someone's in here," Toushiro replied, smacking her hand away.

"What's going on in your head lately, Toushiro? You've been more quiet than usual this month," Karin stated.

"Nothing is going on in my he-" Toushiro began, opening the door to the Kurosaki house before a shrill interrupted him.

"Karin-chan, Hitsugaya-san!" The two stopped talking to turn to a brown haired girl running towards them. "You both need to take a shower now!" Yuzu shrilled, pulling the two by the arms towards the stairs.

"Well, Toushiro can go first. Naruto Shippuden's probably about to start!" Karin shouted before running towards the living room.

"Karin-chan you didn't take off your shoes!" Yuzu sighed and then turned to Toushiro. "Please go take your shower, Hitsugaya-san. You smell sweaty."

"Hai, Kurosaki-san." Toushiro quickly went up to Ichigo's room, took off his clothing, and entered the shower. While inside the shower, he couldn't stop his mind from drifting off to its earlier topic; only being friends with Kurosaki Karin. Toushiro was satisfied with being her friend but somewhere in his mind he wanted more. "Kuso," Toushiro muttered. Whatever happened to the Ice Prince? The one who was known to have no feelings? He really missed that guy.

Sighing, Toushiro shut off the water. Toushiro wrapped a towel around his waist before heading to the closet. When he opened the closet it was deserted except for one perverted stuffed animal, whose soul he returned to the toy. "Yo," it said.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Whoa, not even a hello? And I thought taichous had manners; then again if taichous were supposed to have manners then I guess Ichigo wouldn't be one what with him being gall and all," Kon rambled, ignoring the shinigami taichou's question.

"Where are my clothes?" Toushiro growled.

"Oi I'm the lion here not you! I'll do the growli-ing!"

"Where are my clothes?" Toushiro growled impatient and holding onto the fabric under Kon's neck as if it were a shirt collar.

"I-I d-don't know!" Kon stuttered. "Ask the evil girl; she does the chores around here!"

"Fine," Toushiro huffed before throwing the stuffed animal back in the closet.

Toushiro ignored the loud complaints directed at him from Kon as he walked to where he thought the brown haired girl was. Assuming that Yuzu would be with her boyfriend, Toushiro walked into the living and found the brown haired girl he had been looking for with Jinta on the couch watching Naruto Shippuden. "Kurosaki-san," Toushiro called. When Yuzu turned to look at Toushiro she immediately looked back at the television screen, but not before Toushiro caught the blush on her face. "Gomen. Do you know where-"

"Here are those chips you wanted, Jinta-baka…" Karin began, entering the room from another entrance, before she saw Toushiro. 'Holy… crap,' Karin thought, gulping and staring at Toushiro's still wet chest.

Toushiro gulped uncomfortable. She had never actually seen him without a shirt before, even when she had dragged him to the pool or beach during the months he had to patrol in Karakura during the summer, but why was she staring? She had other friends that were boys that she saw shirtless and wet during those times at the pool and beach and she never stared at them.

An idea popped into Toushiro's head. "Are you ogling me, Kurosaki?" Toushiro asked teasingly.

"W-what? Hell no! Like I would ever ogle you!" Karin shouted, blushing and looking away, causing Yuzu to giggle.

"I don't know that looked like ogling to me!" Jinta chimed, smirking.

"Urusai, baka! I'm going to go take my shower now!" Karin shouted, leaving the room and mustering as much of her fading dignity with her as possible.

"What about my chips?"

Toushiro watched Karin exit and smirked at her embarrassment. "So what were you asking me, Hitsugaya-san?" Yuzu asked still looking at the TV.

"Oh right, do you know where my clothes are?"

"Are you insinuating something, Hitsugaya?" Jinta glared at the white haired boy.

"What? No. What could I be insinuating?" Toushiro asked confused.

"Yuzu, has he been trying anything on you lately?"

"What?" Toushiro and Yuzu exclaimed in unison. "No he hasn't, Jinta-kun! What gave you that idea?"

"This show on TV-"

"Jinta-kun, I think you've been watching a little too much TV, and yes Hitsugaya-san I know where your clothes are. They are in mine and Karin's bedroom; I moved them there while I was cleaning your room earlier."

"Arigato, Kurosaki-san," Toushiro thanked before sending a quick glare to Hanakari and heading to the stairs.

When the shinigami taichou was out of hearing range Jinta sighed and asked, "Is this really a good idea, Yuzu-chan? Your sister's going to kill him."

"Of course it is, Jinta-kun, when have any of Rangiku-chan's schemes failed," Yuzu replied, ignoring her boyfriend's last comment.

"What about that time she tried pairing Suna with that guy who-"

"I'll go get you some chips!" Yuzu quickly interrupted and left the room. Jinta sweat dropped; sometimes the goddess (A/N: What he refers to Yuzu as) could be really evil. He was just glad Isshin wasn't in the house or else he would have found some way to make it worse.

Toushiro was deep in thought while walking towards the twins' bedroom. 'Usually Kon would avoid talking about Kurosaki-san and Hanakari lives with Urahara and they don't have a TV there...' Toushiro was beginning to feel wary but it was too late to think any further about it because he had arrived in front of the closed door to the twins' bedroom.

Toushiro pushed all those thoughts away as he opened the door but regretted it when he caught sight of what was in front of him. Karin was in the room in only her bra and underwear, her back facing him while she tried to unbutton her bra. Toushiro's dazed as he stared at the half naked sixteen year- old. Hearing the door creak, Karin looked back to see a wide eyed, flushing Toushiro standing in her doorway staring at her, Karin in only her bra and underwear.

Without a second thought Karin kicked him in the chest sending him flying into the hallway wall creating a large Toushiro shaped crack in the wall. "WHAT THE F*CK?" Karin shouted eyes filled with fury. Karin felt something warm moving down the leg she kicked with. She looked at the leg and was surprised when she found blood. "Blood? Where is the blood coming…" Karin looked at Toushiro, whose nose was bleeding, "from." A murderous aura surrounded Karin as she glared at the shinigami taichou. "PERVERT!" Karin shouted as she punched Toushiro's face causing him to go deeper into the wall.

Toushiro's mind began to function again after Karin's punch and immediately realized the situation he was in. "W-wait! I didn't mean-" Toushiro tried to apologize but had to dodge more of Karin's punches. Toushiro's nose began to bleed harder when he noticed how close Karin was to him. He used his hand to cover his hand but the blood just seeped through the spaces between his fingers.

Noticing that more blood was coming out, Karin began to punch harder and faster. "YOU. F*CKIN. PERVERT!"

Realizing that Karin wouldn't give up Toushiro stood up when the opportunity presented itself and ran away to Ichigo's room, holding on tight to his nose and towel which he was still somehow able to hold around his waist after the kick, screaming back, "Gomen!"

_With Jinta and Yuzu_

"Told ja," Jinta said to Yuzu. Yuzu smiled nervously and sweat dropped.

_Ichigo's Room_

"KON!"

"Yeah, what is it Hits-ah!"

"You had something to do with that!" Toushiro stated holding Kon in a chokehold with his right hand.

"With what?" Kon asked innocently.

The temperature in the room went lower. "You know what, and I want to know who made you do it!" Toushiro demanded, his grip on Kon's neck tightening.

"All I did was say go to Yuzu!" Kon half coughed out. The temperature in the room went lower again and Toushiro tightened his grip _much_ harder. "Alright, alright! I helped Yuzu move the clothes to her room, and it was all Rangiku's plan!" Kon completely coughed out.

This information didn't make Toushiro release his grip on the stuffed animal nor did it return the room's temperature back to normal instead it caused him to grip him even harder and parts of the room were beginning to freeze over. "MATSUMOTO!"

_Orihime's Home_

Toushiro's shout traveled across half of Karakura and two women in particular were scared stiff by it. "Uh oh, Rangiku-san, looks like Hitsugaya-kun found out about your plan." Orihime turned to look at her couch where the strawberry blonde _was_. "Rangiku-san?"

_Ichigo's Room_

"Please… stop... choking… me," Kon begged/coughed. "There are… still… some… clothes… in the… closet."

Toushiro walked to the closet, not letting go of Kon in case he lied, and looked through the closet. He saw was a box labeled "Ichigo's Old Clothes" in the corner close to the door and reached for it. He opened the box and inside he found some of Ichigo's clothes from when he still lived in the World of The Living. Throwing Kon and his towel behind him, Toushiro took the clothes with him inside the bathroom so he could wash his chest, hands, and nose from the blood.

When he came back out Toushiro was wearing a white T-shirt with a purple coat over and a pair of jeans that he had to roll up a little so the back didn't touch the ground. On the bed he saw Kon with his hand over his mouth snickering. "What's so funny?"

"I just realized the blood on you came from your nose! Karin gave you a nosebleed!" Kon exclaimed then burst out laughing, but stopped when the room temperature dropped.

The two stayed quiet in the room for a few minutes before Kon spoke up. "So you two are only friends, right?"

Toushiro was surprised by the question for a moment before answering, "Yes, why?"

Kon sighed relieved. "Well, because Ichigo told me to watch over Karin and Yuzu in case of any boys. Karin already protects Yuzu so I only protect Karin," Kon replied making Toushiro want to snort on the "protect Karin" part but he didn't. "Although," Kon began eyeing Toushiro warily, "your nosebleed tells me you're a perv so now I have to watch out for you."

"I am not a perv!"

"Then explain the nosebleed!"

"Kurosaki punched me in the nose!" Toushiro lied.

Kon continued to look warily at Toushiro for a few more seconds before sighing. "Whatever, it's not like Karin can't protect herself. Honestly I understand about Yuzu and how she would definitely need my protection," Toushiro almost snorted at his boastfulness again, "but Karin's strong."

"You can say that again," Toushiro mumbled, rubbing what he assumes will be a black eye.

'_And you love that about her.'_

'_Urusai, Hyourinmaru.'_

"Hitsugaya-san! We're leaving c'mon, Hitsugaya-san!" Toushiro heard Yuzu yelling from downstairs.

As Toushiro left the room, Kon yelled, "Don't try anything or you'll have ta face the power of the lion!" Toushiro snorted.

_Sidewalk_

Toushiro, Karin, Yuzu, and Jinta were all walking to the movie theatre together in an uncomfortable silence. Karin hadn't even taken a glance at Toushiro since they left the house and everyone could sense the murderous aura that still hadn't left Karin's side.

'Note to self: stop trusting Kurosaki-san,' Toushiro thought. Toushiro turned his head to look at Karin; he could swear there was literally fire around her. "Kurosaki, I didn't mean to do… that."

"What the f*ck do you mean to? You knew I was getting to take a shower, you perv!" Karin yelled, now looking a Toushiro with a murderous glare.

"Why'd Yuzu have to put me in between them?" Jinta grumbled.

"I thought you were already in the shower and I am not a perv!"

"Sure you aren't. That's why you came into my bedroom while I was undressing!"

"For the last time I didn't mean to! My clothes weren't in my closet, I asked your sister where they were and she said they were in your room, so I went there to get my clothes not to watch you undress!"

Karin's glare turned from the white haired boy to her fraternal twin causing Yuzu to sweat nervously. "Yuzu! What the f*ck?"

"W-well, um, y-y-you see," Yuzu stumbled looking away from her sister, "um - well it was Rangiku-chan's idea not mine!"

"Rangiku!" Karin began to run towards Orihime's house. "Imma-"

"You're not gonna do anything!" Jinta commanded grabbing her arm and pulling her back onto the sidewalk. "I paid thirty-two bucks for these tickets so you better stay put and be d*mn grateful! I'm not gonna have you running away and wasting my money because of some dumb prank!"

"Some dumb prank? Toushiro f*ckin' saw me half naked!" Karin yelled, making Toushiro look away and blush. "That is_ NOT_ a prank!"

"Well get over it! I saw you completely naked once before and you didn't give a crap!"

"What?" Everybody screamed except Jinta.

"What do you mean you saw me naked? You f*ckin' pervert, get your hand off of me!" Karin pulled away from Jinta.

"Uh, I-I th-thought y-y-you knew," Jinta stuttered completely terrified. "That time when you passed out during training and Tessai had to heal your wounds; I came in to ask him what happened and there he was healing yours wounds."

"So you just stayed in there and watched me!"

"I-I thought you were conscious!"

"If I was conscious I would have beaten the hell outta you! Like I'm about to right now!" Karin exploded then attempted to tackle the red headed boy, but Toushiro stood between them. Toushiro grabbed Karin by the shoulders and held her back while Jinta cowered behind Yuzu. "Le'me go, Toushiro! IMMA KICK HIS BALLS SO HARD THEY'LL GO BACK INSIDE HIS PERVERTED BODY, AND MAKE 'M A GIRL!"

"No, Kurosaki, stay still! How will beating Hanakari change what happened!" Toushiro asked, holding on tight to the thrashing girl.

"It won't, but it'll help me feel a hell lot better!"

"Will it make your sister feel better?"

Karin stopped thrashing and looked over Toushiro's shoulder; Yuzu's legs and arms were all shaking, her hands were covering her face, and Karin could hear her quiet, muffled sobs. Karin lowered her arms and stared at her sister. "Toushiro…" Understanding, Toushiro let go of Karin and stepped out of her way. "Yuzu...?"

"Karin-chan, please don't fight," Yuzu said between sobs, "Please, Karin-chan, he didn't mean to. He only wanted to make sure Urahara-san didn't hurt you badly, so please don't hurt him. Please… no fighting."

Karin felt like Yuzu had actually shot her with guilt. Yuzu had always been against fighting, she use to always cry when she was younger about how much people fought before she began to help out in the clinic, and she especially hated it when one of her family members were about to fight, and she hated it even more when it was out of anger. Karin laid a hand on Yuzu's shoulder, and soothingly she said, "Gomen, Yuzu. Please don't cry. I'm not going to fight anyone. Please stop crying, Yuzu."

Slowly, Yuzu began to calm down and a small smile formed on her face. "Arigato, Karin-chan. So, let's go watch the movie?"

"Yeah!" Karin grinned.

The small group then began to walk to the movie theatre again but this time it was comfortable. A few minutes later they were all in the movie theatre trying to find seats. The room was packed with excited people ready to watch the movie so it was difficult to find seats, but after what seemed like Karin to be forever they found four open seats; they were two in the middle of the room and two at the bottom.

"We'll take bottom so you guys can have middle," Karin said and her and Toushiro began to walk down the stairs, but not before Karin sent a quick you-know-the-rule-glance at Jinta. Settling themselves in their seats, Karin and Toushiro quietly waited patiently for the movie to start. After a few minutes of trailers, Toushiro regained his courage and spoke up to Karin. "Gomen, Kurosaki."

"For what?" Karin asked innocently.

"For… you know what," Toushiro replied, blushing a little, again.

"Don't worry about it, Toushiro. I know it was Rangiku and Yuzu's fault-now, but I should be the one apologizing for attacking you," Karin said, sweat dropping and scratching the back of her neck.

"So you're going to apologize to me?" Toushiro asked bewildered.

"Nope, 'cause you're a perv."

"I am not!"

"Then what's," -Karin rubbed her thumb over his upper lip and showed it to Toushiro-, "this?" After Toushiro recovered from his moment of being stun from the touch, Toushiro squinted, because of the lighting in the room, to see what was on her finger, and when he saw his hand immediately shot up to his nose and his blush deepened. Karin laughed at his reaction. "It started coming out when I asked 'for what'. Sorry, Toushiro, but I have a strict 'don't apologise to perverts' policy."

"I'm not a pervert!" Toushiro argued which only made the girl laugh again. Watching the girl he loved laugh, another small smile crept onto Toushiro's face for the second time that day.

A minutes later the lights in the room went darker, everyone in the room went silent, and the movie began, but Toushiro didn't pay attention. Movies weren't really one of the things Hitsugaya Toushiro enjoyed since, in his point of view, they were all about zombies, robots, drugs, or high school students with dumb problems, so he would just always go into his inner world for peace and quiet.

Toushiro closedhis eyes and when he reopened them he was in a land covered with snow. Something was different though Toushiro could feel it. Looking around, he saw a blizzard far away in the back of his inner world. _'Hyourinmaru!'_ Toushiro called. _'Hyourinmaru!"_

Hyourinmaru appeared in front of Toushiro. _'You called, Master?'_

'_Why is there a blizzard?' _Toushiro asked.

'_You tell me.' _Hyourinmaru replied.

'_What do you mean 'you tell me'? I don't know why there is a blizzard.'_

'_Where is the blizzard?' _Hyourinmaru asked.

'_In the back of my inner world,' _Toushiro stated, wondering where Hyourinmaru was going with this.

'_Do you remember__,__' _Hyourinmaru asked,_ 'what your inner world is?'_

'_It is a part of my mind.'_

'_Correct. Now, people's mind are almost always riddled with questions and problems__,__ and for this to happen to a shinigami who can enter their inner world problems will begin to occur inside their inner world.' _Hyourinmaru explained.

Toushiro ignored the feeling to retort to the dragon about already knowing all that and experiencing it when Aizen and him both stabbed Hinamori, and instead calmly asked, _'So you are saying that blizzard is being caused by me having problems?'_ The ice dragon nodded. _'But I am not having any problems. My only problem is that my inner world, my haven where I can think peacefully, is having a blizzard__,__' _Toushiro seethed.

'_Do not get angry with me, boy!' _Hyourinmaru snapped, glaring at Toushiro._ 'Have you been listening?' _

'_To what?'_

'_To what most people refer to as: 'the voice in the back of their head'__.__ That voice they all hear are themselves trying to tell themselves things they ignore,'_ Hyourinmaru informed to his master.

'_No, I haven't,' _Toushiro stated bluntly. _'Why is it important?'_

'_Well, that blizzard is in the back is the voice! Those are its problems! If you do not do something about them soon the blizzard will envelop this world.' _Hyourinmaru warned.

'_So what do I do to stop the blizzard?' _Toushiro asked.

'_First listen to the voice more then its or more likely __**your**__ problems will speed up the blizzard which will cover this entire world when you know what the problems are.'_

'_Then why should I listen to it-'_

'_So that you can solve those problems so there will never be a chance of them resurfacing!'_ Hyourinmaru yelled.

Toushiro sighed and watched his breath slowly disappear. _'Alright I will try.'_

'_Good. Now go; the movie's over.'_

Toushiro closed his eyes and when he reopened them he found people clapping and cheering. 'I guess it is over.' He turned his head to look at Karin who obviously enjoyed the movie judging by her smile and how loud she's clapping.

"Well, let's go before the exit gets clogged with people," Karin said, getting up and going up the small stairs with Toushiro following behind. At the door, they found Yuzu and Jinta already there waiting patiently, or at least just Yuzu, for them.

"C'mon let's go! I wanna get a refill on my popcorn for the road," Jinta said.

"Go on ahead we'll catch up to you at our own pace," Karin replied.

"Alright," Jinta said before running out the room, popcorn bag in hand.

Karin sweat dropped and turned to Yuzu. "Yuzu, really?" Karin asked, jerking her thumb over to where Jinta was.

"Yes, Karin-chan! Don't such an Ichi-nii!" Yuzu joked.

"Whoa, don't compare me to that baka! He can't see tell whether we're bleeding or just have ketchup on us!" Karin joked back and both the sisters laughed while walking out into the hallway with the other two.

"Well he is a waiter so I guess he should think that," Yuzu said unaware that Ichigo's actual job was being a shinigami taichou and was told by him and Karin that his occupation was a waiter until he graduated college, also a lie.

"Hehe yeah, so how'd you like the movie?"

"It was good except for the bloody parts. I love how Brian said he wouldn't leave Mia after she said she was pregnant! It was so romantic!" Yuzu fawned, pressing her hands against her cheeks.

"They were running away from people who were trying to kill them when she told him," Karin sweat dropped.

"It was still romantic! What did you think of it, Hitsugaya-san?" Yuzu asked.

"He was asleep," Karin covered for Toushiro fully aware of the fact that he was in his inner world.

Toushiro smirked; she knew him pretty well. "Hmm, are you sure? Maybe while you two were alone you were ma-"

A scowl replaced Toushiro's smirk (and some pink replaced his normal cheek color) and Karin cheeks went a little pink as she interrupted Yuzu. "Yuzu, we just got over that other thing! Don't bring up something else to argue about!"

'She calls her yelling and attacking arguing?' Toushiro thought, reaching up to rubbing his growing black eye. He could swear it was probably purple by now!

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. It's just fun teasing you guys."

"Yuzu-chan, provoking two crazy bears doesn't really seem like teasing," Jinta contradicted, coming up behind her with a full bag of popcorn.

"I am _not_ a crazy bear!" Karin seethed.

"You're right, you're just a bear!"

"Says the obnoxious baka!"

"I am not an obnoxious baka!"

"Urusai, Hanakari. You're giving me a headache." Toushiro interrupted.

"What'd d'you say?"

"Urusai!" Karin yelled and punched the back of his head.

"Karin-chan, don't start fighting again!" Yuzu screamed.

"You shouldn't hurt your future brother-in-law, Karin-chan," a voice said from the mini mart across the street.

The group all turned their heads to see an elderly woman with black hair walking towards them. "Granny!" "Grandma Haru!" They all exclaimed.

"Hello! It's nice to see you all," the elderly woman said smiling. "How did you get that nasty black eye, Tousiro-chan? It's very purple," Grandma Haru asked, examining his eye from under the lamp post.

'I knew it!' "It's a long story. What are you doing out here, Grandma Haru?"

Haru held up both her arms showing the bags she was holding and said, "Grocery shopping. What are you all doing?"

"We're heading back home from the movies," Karin said pointing to the movie theatre behind them. "Do you need any help taking the bags home, Granny?"

"No, I couldn't. You all should be heading home to rest for the night," Grandma Haru said brushing off Karin's offer.

"Don't worry, we don't mind," Yuzu said taking a bag from her hand.

"It is alright, Grandma Haru. We will help," Toushiro assured taking two bags away from the elderly woman. Karin and Jinta nodded their heads in agreement and each took a bag for themselves.

"Well, alright then. Arigatou," Haru smiled wide and they all continued on down the road. Yuzu and Haru were having a conversation about a new recipe of Yuzu's, Jinta was watching his feet and muttering something about Tessai, chores, and pain, and Karin and Toushiro were walking silently looking forward.

Toushiro was thinking about Hyrouinmaru's warning, _"If you do not do something about _(them) _the problems soon the blizzard will envelop this world,"_. Frankly, he was wary about the voice in the back of his head; the few things he actually heard it say before weren't exactly things he wanted to think about, like when it told Toushiro that there might have been something going on between Kira and Hinamori before they had started dating. It was right of course but he didn't like to think about his sister being with anyone.

So engulfed in his thoughts Toushiro didn't notice when they arrived at Grandma Haru's house until Yuzu's scream. "What happened?" Toushiro looked around at the atrocity; the lawn and garden looked as if someone had ridden a dirt bike on it, all the windows were broken, the door was on the floor off its hinges, and there was toilet paper and broken eggs all over the house. He couldn't believe it, someone vandalized Grandma Haru, sweet, friendly Grandma Haru.

Toushiro then saw something pinned down to the threshold by a rock. He walked over to the threshold and picked it up. After reading it he called out to Karin, who was still looking around Grandma Haru's house with a scowl on her face, "Kurosaki, you might want to look at this."

Karin ran over to Toushiro and grabbed the paper from him. She read the note in her head over and over and over again until she read, or more like growled, it aloud. "Stay away from Hitsugaya, Kurosaki!"

* * *

><p><strong>FINISHED! Finally the cheerleaders attack! How many of you did not forget about them and wondered what happened to them? I'm sorry for any spelling or gramatical errors but I had to hurry with this with the little times I had to write. Please give rewiews and constructive criticism, and no flaming please! See ya next chapter!<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**New chapter! Each chapter is taking a month to finish now, that no good, but it's either going to continue that way or take longer now since I, unfortunately, start school next week. In this chapter there will be some soccer action (I tried to make it as long as I could but I'm not good at writing soccer scenes/games) and, not much but, action action (I didn' say fighting action because what happened can't really be considered a fight)!**

**Oh, and some things I must mention. I noticed that in the first chapter I accidentally wrote this story was seven years after the war (*sweatdrop*) but it is _not _in case you were confused! It's actually _5/five years_ after the war, and I never explained how Karin's soccer season was but Karin'll explain that herself in this chapter. Kon, could you do the disclaimer?**

**Kon: *reads from paper* Avatarfan444 does not own Bleach and I am a sick, little perverted modsoul- hey, wait!**

**Me: Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Toushiro looked at the atrocity around him; the windows broken and some of the glass still hanging of the house, tire tracks all over the yard, yolk sliding down the walls of the house, and toilet paper hanging off the house and trees looking like chimes made out of paper. "Damn it!" Karin yelled punching a tree. "Your fan girls are out of control, Toushiro! Look what they did!"<p>

Toushiro just glared at the ground with his hands balled up into fists. "What are you talking about, Karin-chan?"

"This!" Karin said throwing the now crumbled piece of paper towards her sister. Toushiro heard Yuzu straighten out the paper, her reaction, and the reactions of the others when she showed it to them but he wasn't paying attention. Toushiro just continued to glare at the ground as if demanding it to tell him exactly who did this.

A bunch of girls who were infatuated with him vandalized Grandma Haru's home just because he was friends with Karin! How did they think him being friends with Karin would make destroying an elderly woman's, Grandma Haru's to be specific, house justified? Worrying he might try and punch a tree like Karin, Toushiro stuffed his hands into his pants' pockets.

"It is alright." Toushiro turned around.

"How is this alright, Granny?" Karin asked gesturing to the house.

Haru smiled, but Toushiro couldn't tell if it was forced or not. "All I have to do is clean the eggs and toilet paper, then call some repair men to fix the windows and door."

Before Karin could complain any more Yuzu asked, "Where will you stay, Grandma Haru?"

"I will call and book a room at a hotel."

"No, you should stay with us! Then you wouldn't have to spend any more money than you already need to!" Yuzu suggested.

"No, I couldn't. I don't want to be a burden for you all," Grandma Haru declined kindly.

"It wouldn't be a burden at all, right," Yuzu asked and turned to Toushiro and Karin "you guys?" They both nodded in agreement.

"But where would I sleep?"

"You can take my room, Grandma Haru," Toushiro offered.

"No, I couldn't, Toushiro-chan. That's where you sleep."

"You can sleep in our room, Granny," Karin offered.

"I couldn't-" Grandma Haru said before Toushiro cut her off.

"Please, take my room. I can sleep on the couch."

"But-"

"No, sleep in our room, Granny!" Karin interrupted.

"No she's not! She can take my room and I'll sleep on the couch!"

"No, she will be with me and Yuzu!"

Haru, Yuzu, and Jinta just watched as Toushiro and Karin broke into an argument over whose room Grandma Haru would be sleeping in. "Ano, maybe we should go check to see if your furniture is fine."

"I think that would be a good idea, Yuzu-chan," Haru replied before the three went inside the house, leaving Toushiro and Karin to argue.

"She'll be in our room!"

"No, she is not! She should have her own room!"

"She should be in a room where a pervert doesn't live in the closet!"

"I do not think the stuffed animal is that perverted."

"You don't know that! He could change to older women!"

"Oi, would you both shut up!" Jinta shouted exiting the house with Yuzu and Haru, who was holding a small bag filled with clothes.

"Urusai!" Toushiro and Karin shouted at Jinta in unison.

"Karin-chan look at this," Yuzu said pushing a broken picture frame to her sister.

Karin examined the picture in the frame. It was the picture of when she, Grandma Haru, Yuzu, and Isshin went on a picnic or at least it seemed like only Grandma Haru, Yuzu, and Isshin were in the photo because they were cuts all over Karin making it hard to know it's her unless you put the strips together, but Karin didn't need to put them together to know it was her. "They cut me."

"It was the only thing in the house they messed with," Jinta said.

"I can't really say I'm surprised," Karin replied calmly. "We should be getting home, though. It's late and we don't need to run into trouble on the way home."

"So you'll sleep in my room and I'll sleep on the couch, okay?" Toushiro asked already out on the sidewalk with Grandma Haru.

"Hai, Toushiro-chan, thank you," Grandma Haru thanked smiling to Toushiro.

"Toushiro, you cheater!" Karin yelled.

"What did he cheat on?" Jinta asked.

"Well… he…"

"Baka," Jinta muttered walking towards the sidewalk with Yuzu.

"I dare you to say that to my face, Hanakari!" Karin yelled catching up to them.

A few minutes passed by as they walked down the sidewalk. Jinta left the group after about five minutes saying if he didn't get back soon Tessai would give him extra chores so only the four were left walking to the Kurosaki residence. They were all planning about how they were going back to Haru's house the next day after Karin's soccer game to clean up the eggs and toilet paper when Karin turned to Toushiro and asked, "Since when have you started calling Ichi-nii's room _your_ room?"

Toushiro looked at Karin warily while answering, "I said _my_ room because I thought it'd be confusing for Grandma Haru if I said Kurosaki's room since every room at your house belongs to your father, Kurosaki. Why?"

"C'mon, Toushiro, admit it, you think of our house as your second home now!" Karin said smirking.

"No, I just thought it'd be confusing for-"

"Oh c'mon, Toushiro, you've been living in our house for five years now and you're saying you don't feel at home when you arrive at that house?" Karin asked cutting Toushiro off.

"Yes, Kurosaki," Toushiro lied. Honestly, Toushiro felt as if he lived there almost his entire life and he was comfortable with the routine he always had while there, but he wouldn't admit it.

"Why, Hitsugaya-san? Doesn't it feel homey enough?" Yuzu asked innocently.

"Well yes, it does but-"

"You have been living with them for five years, Toushiro-chan, how can you not think of it as a second home?" Grandma Haru also asked.

"Because-"

"Is it because Rangiku-chan isn't there?" Yuzu asked.

"No, it's-"

"Why is it then, Toushiro-chan?" Grandma Haru asked both her and Yuzu looking at him directly in the eye.

Uncomfortable, Toushiro took two steps back. 'What did I do wrong?' Toushiro thought nervously. Looking behind the two women, Toushiro caught Karin holding in her laughter but it still came out as a snigger. Toushiro sent a quick glare at Karin before turning back to Grandma Haru and Yuzu, but before he could get a word out Isshin came out of nowhere and hugged Karin and Yuzu from behind.

"My darling daughters welcome home! Where have you been? Daddy has been so worried!" Isshin yelled while crying hysterically.

"Let go of me you sorry excuse for an adult!" Karin yelled struggling to escape from Isshin's bear hug while Yuzu stood (or hanged) still, giggling nervously. Toushiro smirked and chuckled at the "family moment" and Karin sent him a blood curdling glare.

"Never, Daddy's never going to let go!" Isshin screamed hugging tighter.

"Aw, what a precious family moment," Grandma Haru cooed.

"Family moment?" Isshin repeated confused and stopped crying. "Not yet, we're missing one fella!"

'Lucky for Kurosaki he's not here to receive his father's hugs,' Toushiro thought before noticing that Isshin, along with Karin and Yuzu, disappeared. Before he could turn around Isshin snatched him up into his arms and began to swing Toushiro, Karin, and Yuzu in his arms. "Now it's a family moment!" Isshin screamed louder than before making everyone in a thirty feet radius wince and waking some sleeping neighbors up.

Toushiro struggled in the larger man's grip for a few seconds before giving up and waiting until Isshin was done yelling about his twin daughters, his eldest son, his third daughter, and Toushiro, who has apparently been his second son since the first night he stayed at the Kurosaki house, so he could be released. Toushiro just glared at Karin who was laughing and mocking him about how the supposed strong, mighty shinigami taichou was being immobilized by a human hug. "Oh, and how wonderful will the day be when my Karin-chan and Hitsugaya-kun get married so he can really be my second son!"

"What?" Karin and Toushiro shouted in unison, but Karin was glaring up at her father, slightly blushing, and Toushiro was facing the ground, forcing the blush that was threatening to surface his face down. "Let go of me so I can kick you're a**, oyaji!" Karin shouted even louder and struggling harder than before.

The shouting, which came from Karin and Isshin, and struggling continued until Yuzu kindly, or as kindly as a person literally stuck in the middle of two people shouting while one of them was repeatedly kicking her in their attempt to escape a hug, interrupted. "We should go inside before we wake up all the neighbors, right, Karin-chan, Oto-san?"

Both family members stopped what they were doing and turned to Yuzu. "You're right, Yuzu-chan!" Isshin yelled and walked into the house, still holding onto his daughters and 'son', followed by Haru.

"Would ju let us go already?" Karin yelled.

"Hmm, but I like you guys there," Isshin said smiling widely.

Karin was at boiling point now, so, concentrating reiatsu into her right arm, Karin's right arm broke free and she punched her father's jaw causing him to let them go. 'Seems like she's controlling her reiatsu better,' Toushiro thought. Rubbing his jaw, Isshin broke into tears and began to bawl over the poster of Masaki. "Oh, Masaki, why does our daughter hurt me so much? All I have ever done was love her!"

"Urusai!" Karin shouted.

"Karin-chan, Oto-san, stop shouting! You'll wake up the neighbors!" Yuzu commanded. "Oto-san, will it be okay if Grandma Haru stays here for a few days? Someone vandalized her house so-"

"Of course, Yuzu-chan!" Running up to Grandma Haru, Isshin began to hug her. "Welcome to the family, Haru-chan!"

Every other occupant in the house sweat dropped at the scene. "It's official, anyone who comes to live in this house becomes a new family member," Karin stated tiredly Toushiro and Yuzu nodding in assent with her.

"You'll sleep in Ichigo's room and Hitsugaya-kun'll take the sofa!" Isshin said firmly after he let go of her then picked up her small bag. 'Nice to know he'll give my room away so easily,' Toushiro thought sarcastically. "Karin-chan, take Hitsugaya-kun to the living room while Yuzu-chan and I take Haru-chan to her new room!"

Karin glared at her father, not trusting him for a second, and then walked away into a hallway with Toushiro walking beside her.

Sitting down on the couch, Toushiro said, "You're getting better at controlling your reiatsu."

"Heh, so you noticed," Karin said looking a little proud, "Thanks. Hollows are really good training dummies." They both stayed quiet. Toushiro was thinking hard about who exactly could have vandalized Grandma Haru's house when Karin asked, "Are you still angry?"

Knowing what she meant, Toushiro replied, "Of course I am! Aren't you?"

"Course, but I'm going to find out exactly who did it and, unlike you, I'm gonna kick their a**!" Karin said determined.

Toushiro smirked. "Why can't I kick their a**?"

Karin smirked back. "Because I'm pretty sure your fangirls are the one who trashed Granny's house, and I don't think you fight human girls, do you?"

Toushiro's smirked dropped and turned into a scowl when he realized she was right that it was probably his 'fangirls'. Then a sudden sentence popped into his head. "…_you passed out during training and Tessai had to heal your wounds." _"Kurosaki," Toushiro called.

"Hm?"

"What did Hanakari mean by you were training? And what sorts of wounds were inflicted on you?" Toushiro asked staring Karin straight in the eye.

Looking away, Karin replied, "Oh, Urahara-san's just teaching me zanjutsu so I'm prepared when I pass onto the Soul Society."

"But you can only perform zanjutsu if you are-"

"I know, I know a shinigami, but you should know Urahara-san by now. He's always finding ways to making something impossible possible like how he can open his own garganta," Karin said, still not looking Toushiro in the eyes.

The fact that Karin was looking away from his only made him more wary. "Kuro-"

"Karin-chan, you should get some rest for your game tomorrow!" called out Yuzu's voice.

"Alright! Well, night, Toushiro!" Karin yelled, running out of the room, and Toushiro could hear Yuzu telling her to stop yelling and Isshin asking what took her so long (which received him a loud punch) in the hallway.

"Goodnight, Kurosaki," Toushiro sighed lying down on the couch and pulling up the blanket.

Waking up, Toushiro sat up in his bed. 'Where am I?' Toushiro thought looking around the living room before realization hit him. 'That's right. I'm in the clinic because Grandma Haru is using my room.' Toushiro stood up and stretched. He groaned. The couch was almost as hard as the one in his office, which he took a mental note of to replace.

Toushiro walked to the kitchen and took a seat at the table. Looking around the room, he saw Grandma Haru and Yuzu at the stove cooking something and Isshin sitting across from him eating a large bowl of rice and thin, red strips. "Kurosaki-san, where is your sister?"

Yuzu turned to him and smiled. "Good morning, Hitsugaya-san, and to answer your question she went to the field early to prepare for the game," Yuzu answered and placed a bowl in front of him. "Here you go, Hitsugaya-san!"

Toushiro picked up his chopsticks and slowly picked up the strip, which was somewhat difficult because it was stiff. "Kurosaki-san, what is this?" Toushiro politely asked staring at the strip. It was a brownish-red on one half and light pink on another and it was pretty stiff.

"It's American style bacon, Toushiro-chan! It tastes good, so try it," Haru answered smiling and sitting down next to him with her own bowl.

Toushiro stared at for a few more seconds then took a bite. It was crunchy and hard but tasted fairly good. Toushiro didn't pay much attention to the other three people at the table talking and just continued to eat his food. "Hitsugaya-san," Toushiro looked up from his bowl at Yuzu. "You should probably go change before we head to the soccer game. You're still wearing the clothes you wore yesterday."

He just responded with a nod and left after he finished his bowl. Halfway to Ichigo's room, Toushiro remembered that Yuzu and Kon put his clothes in her and Karin's room, so he turned around and went inside their room. Toushiro looked around the room. 'Where could they have-Kurosaki-san's closet!' Toushiro thought, yanking open the door to Yuzu's closet and sure enough on the floor was a box labeled "Hitsugaya-san's Clothes".

Toushiro picked up the box from the closet and as he was closing the door he noticed a piece of paper on the floor where the box was. Toushiro picked up the piece of paper and immediately scowled at it. At the top it was labeled "Rangiku-chan's Plans to Get Karin and Hitsugaya-san Together" (she probably should've have came up with a shorter, more discreet name). He read the ideas quickly - to know what to avoid - then ripped it up and threw the pieces in a nearby trashcan. He quickly changed into a white t-shirt and jeans and ran down to the kitchen to leave with the others to the soccer field.

_Karakura High Soccer Field_

"Wait so then you have school during the summer? But I thought you had that vacation."

"You've been coming here for five years and you _still_ don't get it," Karin muttered. "How many times do I have to explain this to you, Rangiku? We start the season in March, and yes there's no school during then because school starts in April, and we play during the summer but we only come to the field for games and practices - not school! Then the last game is in October and after that game the season is over!" Karin sighed heavily. "Do you understand now?"

Rangiku had her hand on her chin and she was nodding. After a few seconds of nodding she asked, "So no school in March and summer vacation?"

"Yes, Rangiku! No school during March and summer vacation," Karin said as if talking to a third grader.

"Don't talk to me like I'm a kid! I just forget a lot!"

"You forget every game?"

"Break it up you two. Do you have to argue about this every game?" a voice broke out.

Both girls turned to see Toushiro, Isshin, Yuzu, Suna, and Grandma Haru. "Hey, you made it!" Karin said grinning.

"Of course, Karin-chan! We said we'd come to this game, remember?" Yuzu said.

"I know, but still," Karin replied. From behind Karin, Isshin was creeping up on her, and then he pounced, preparing to give her a hug.

"Kaaaaaarriiiiiin-chaaaannnn!" Isshin boomed earning himself a foot in his face and no hug. "You're becoming just like your brother," Isshin stated sobbing.

Karin glared at her father. "I am _not_ turning into Ichi-nii!"

"Taichou! Kurosaki-taichou!" two people were calling out from the locker room door.

"Better go. See you guys after the game!" Karin yelled running to the locker room while the others just said "good luck" and "see you", and for Isshin just more sobs and a "she's running away". Karin slowed down to walking when she arrived in front of the two other girls. "All right let's go check to see if everyone else is ready," Karin said to them still walking.

The entire team still wasn't ready yet so Karin and the two girls just sat down on a bench and talked. When Karin told them what had happened to Grandma Haru's house they both gasped. "No way!" Yoko gasped while Kumi stood up and glared at the floor.

"Way," Karin sighed.

Yoko slumped beside Karin on the metal bench. "I just can't believe someone would do that to Haru!"

"That's so horrible!" said a sarcastic voice. The three girls silently prayed it wasn't who they thought it was and when they turned around only to come face-to-face with Hana and three more of her minions they knew Kami wasn't listening to the prayers.

"What do you want, Hana?" Yoko asked glaring at Hana along with Karin and Kumi.

"Why me and the girls were only heading to the field when we heard Kurosaki tell you such _horrible_ news," Hana explained with a look of concern on her face - a fake look of concern. Hana's minions behind her were snickering loudly.

Karin ignored the three girls and kept her glare right on Hana. Hana's face was twitching and her eyes looked like they were extremely proud of something. 'Something…,' Karin thought, 'no, she…' "You little green haired b*tch!" Karin shouted and grabbed onto the collar of Hana's shirt, surprising Hana and scaring her minions. Everyone turned to look at what was happening. "You! You did it! You're the one who trashed Granny's house!"

Hana dropped the look of concern and glared back at Karin. "So what if I did? If you're going to try messing with my future husband I'm going to mess with your family, starting with your stupid, old grandma!"

Too angry to correct Hana Karin's balled up her free hand into a fist. "You little…" Karin raised her fist but Yoko grabbed her arm and Kumi grabbed her shoulders, and they began pulling Karin away from Hana. "Let go of me!" Karin ordered struggling to get out of their holds.

"We can't!" Yoko said pulling Karin away from Hana as hard a she could. "If you hit her you'll be suspended from the team again or kicked off!"

Realizing Yoko was right, Karin calmed down and let go of Hana's shirt. Around her, Karin could hear the coach calling the team to play and everyone not involved in the almost fight running off to the field but Karin stood her ground and continued to glare at Hana. "Karin, we have to go," Kumi said.

"You should listen to her, Kurosaki. Wouldn't want the team to go look for a new taichou, would you?" Hana said smugly, smirking.

"I'll get you back for this," Karin seethed then ran out onto the field, Yoko and Kumi sent the cheerleaders one last glare before following Karin.

Stepping out onto the field, Karin could feel the well appreciated sunlight hitting her skin and she could hear the cheers and screams of the fans, especially her father's, at the bleachers and the announcer announcing "what a beautiful day for soccer", and Karin had to agree with him. For fall, this was a pretty warm day; only a few clouds in the sky, the sun was shining bright, and there was a strong breeze, which would be good for the players since they were probably going to sweat while playing soccer.

Following the sound of her father's cheers, she spotted her family, Toushiro, Rangiku, Grandma Haru, and Suna sitting on the benches at the left side of the field, two seats from the ground. All of them, except Toushiro who was sitting quietly waiting for the game to start and Grandma Haru who was smiling, were cheering. 'Typical Toushiro,' she thought watching Toushiro. Karin grinned at the thought.

She saw that he spotted her, and he smiled at her. Wait Toushiro smiled? 'Toushiro's smiling?' Karin thought and she could swear her eyes were probably as big as plates at the moment. 'He's been doing that a lot lately. That's good, though, he needs to smile more.' Karin smiled back at him quickly then ran to where her team was huddled waiting for her.

"What's the plan taichou?" one player asked.

"Hmm," Karin looked out onto the field to see the other team was already then back to her team, "how 'bout we start out with Tactic 4-4-2?"

"Hai, taichou!" the team replied.

"Alright then, Chiyo, Kumi, Eiko, and I'll be defenders, Yoko, Yumiko, Aoi, and Keiko, you'll be the midfielders, Kohaku and Kyo you guys will be the forwards, and Harumi, you'll be goalie for now! Everyone else bench! Alright let's go!" Karin yelled then went out onto the field with the ten other players. They all settled into their positions, ready for the game to start.

After the head toss, which Karakura Souls lost, the referee blew the whistle and the game was on. A player from the other team rushed forward and dribbled the ball far ahead from her team. Kyo and Aoi tried to stop her but she only slid it around them and continued on. While she wasn't looking Kumi came out from her left and performed a successful slide tackle, kicking the ball away from the player. Chiyo ran out to get it but another player came and caught the ball before her and began dribbling to the goal. The player attempted to kick a swerve shot but failed miserably, earning herself angry shouts from her team, and Harumi was able to catch it easily.

Harumi prepared to do a far kick, so players backed up a little, but passed the ball to Karin who was open. Karin dribbled forward slowly, waiting for more players of the opposing team to come, and when the opposing team was close enough Karin mustered as much strength as she could into her right leg and shot a far chip pass. A _very_ far chip pass- it landed only twenty yards away from the goal. Luckily, no one had noticed that Kohaku and Kyo had already been running to the ball was before it had even reached Karin so when the ball landed Kyo caught the ball and ran towards the goal. She nutmeg three players before someone attempted to slide tackle her. Kyo passed to Kohauku who easily caught it, and with no one but the goalie in front of her she kicked the ball towards the goal. The goalie, thinking that the ball was going left, jumped to the left to block but she was wrong and while in mid-air watched the ball enter the goal from right where she was standing before.

The crowd burst in an uproar of cheers, stomps, and some boos. "That's a point for Karakura," the announcer cheered, "and I gotta say that was a nice shot by Suzuki Kohaku!" Karakura Souls' players high fived each other while the other team yelled at the goalie.

Seventy-five more minutes of kicking, screaming, running, jumping, and heading passed by before Toushiro and Rangiku's soul pagers went off. "Taichou," Rangiku whispered to Toushiro.

"I know I'm going take care of it. I'll be right back," Toushiro said then popped a soul candy into his mouth. Out of his gigai, Toushiro shunpoed to where he felt the reiastu- Grandma Haru's house. 'Of all places it could have appeared it had to be Grandma Haru's!' Toushiro thought angrily, speeding up. He could feel two different hollow reiastus; one was somewhat weak, probably an adjuchas, but the other's was triple the amount of the weak hollow. 'An arrancar!' Toushiro thought. 'It has to be! I need to defeat it quickly before it does any damage.'

Toushiro froze in place at what he saw. An adjucha was next to Grandma Haru's house and an arrancar a few yards away from it but it was what the adjucha was doing that made him stop. It was destroying Grandma Haru's house! "Shinigami, where are you?" the adjuchas screamed and punched the house again. "Stop hiding and come out already! I'll kill you for what you did to me!" At hearing that sentence Toushiro looked closer at the adjuchas; where it's right arm should have been was just a stub and there was a large across its chest.

Toushiro guessed it was probably the shinigami it was yelling about who did that to it. Toushiro scowled and shunpoed in front of the hollow. "What are you doing?" Toushiro shouted.

The adjucha stopped destroying Haru's house and glared at Toushiro. It had a round mask with two eye holes and three black spots on his head, making it look like a white bowling ball, its body was large and purple, and it had a short, pointy tail. "You, Shinigami, where is the shinigami that cut off my arm and gave me this scar?" the adjucha asked Toushiro pointing to the stub and then to its scar.

"What shinigami?" Toushiro asked glaring back.

"You know what shinigami!" the adjuchas replied glaring accusingly at Toushiro. "The shinigami, their hair is-" All of a sudden blood spurted out of the back of the adjucha's and it gave out a howl of pain.

"I told you not to describe the shinigami!" the arrancar was behind the adjuchas with its sword out, blood sliding down the blade. It was wearing the uniform Aizen gave the arrancars. It was a male arrancar with blue eyes, brown hair reaching its mid-back, and its mask was covering the left side of his face from the nose under and continued to its ear left ear making it look like a white elf ear. "Anyway, your work here's done; there is no use for you anymore."

"What do you mean-" the adjuchas began but couldn't finish because the arrancar pushed his sword through its mouth. "B-but… my… re-revenge," the adjuchas said before disintegrating.

Toushiro appeared behind the arrancar. Toushiro brought his sword down hard but the arrancar already used sonido to run away. The arrancar had his hands up if front of his, and, smirking, he said, "Calm down there, shinigami-taichou. I'm not here to fight you-today." The arrancar took a second to chuckle before talking again. "I'm only here to destroy the elderly woman's house, and since I accomplished that already I'll be leaving."

A garganta opened up behind him and he turned around and walked inside. Toushiro decided not to go after it. After all, the arrancar said he would come back to fight him so he didn't need to go into Hueco Mundo only to either die there or win the fight and never be able to return to the Soul Society or World of the Living. "What is your name?" Toushiro asked placing Hyourinmaru in his sheath.

Waving goodbye to Toushiro, the arrancar smiled and answered, "Lebario Gonzo." Then the garganta closed and the sky reverted back to its hole less self.

Toushiro stood where he was and stared where the garganta with the arrancar Lebario Gonzo once was. He was processing everything that happened in his mind. 'Could some arrancars be planning to attack the World of the Living or the Soul Society? If so, then why did Lebario kill the adjucha for trying to describe the shinigami that cut off its arm? I'm going to have to report this to Yamamoto and ask for the reports of the shinigami that have been here for the last few months, but,' Toushiro looked down at the pile of rubble that was once Grandma Haru's house, 'how am I going to explain that?' Toushiro sighed. The first arrancar to ever come out during his watch in five years and it had to destroy Grandma Haru's house!

Toushiro hurried back to the game to tell Matsumoto about the arrancar and Haru about her rubble- I mean house. When Toushiro arrived at the field the game was already over, with Karakura Souls as the winners, and the team was exiting the locker rooms. He quickly found his gigai walking with the others to Karin, before it fell on its face. Toushiro sweatdropped then entered his gigai.

He lifted his face up from the dirt only to find Karin, Masumoto, and Isshin laugh at him and Haru and Yuzu giggling. "Urusai," Toushiro muttered only making Karin and Matsumoto laugh harder. Standing up, he sent Karin and Rangiku a glare but only Rangiku stopped laughing, well she covered her mouth and held in the laughs, Karin went on laughing, and he could swear she was still laughing only to annoy him. Mission accomplished.

"Urusai, Kurosaki!" Toushiro growled. Karin stopped laughing and fake pouted.

"Aw, you're no fun, Toushiro," Karin complained, "and no congrats? No 'good job' for us winning? No cheering for us because we're going to the championship game two weeks from tomorrow? That's just rude."

"Congratulations, Kurosaki," Toushiro mumbled still somewhat annoyed.

"Well, if you two are done flirting, we should head to Grandma Haru's now to go clean up the eggs and stuff," Suna said walking ahead with everyone, except Toushiro, Karin, and Matsumoto, and she smirked when she heard them yelling 'we were _not_ flirting'.

With everyone gone, Toushiro's attitude turned serious. "Kurosaki, Matsumoto there was an arrancar," Toushiro stated.

"What?" Matsumoto replied.

"I'll explain more while we walk," Toushiro said already walking away. So Toushiro told them everything that happened, how the house was destroyed, how the arrancar killed the adjuchas, and then how it just left saying it would be back. "Kurosaki," Toushiro turned to Karin, "have any arrancars come during the months we weren't here?"

"No, not that I can remember," Karin said looking up at the sky as if the answer were there, but Toushiro noticed how her body tensed up at the question. "Kuro-" "Oi, I found out who trashed Grandma Haru's house. Y'know before the adjuchas," Karin said quickly.

"You do?" Yuzu asked running back with Suna, Grandma Haru, and Isshin to Karin. "Who was it?"

'Looks like I'll just have to talk to her later,' Toushiro thought impatiently. "The cheerleaders," Karin seethed.

"No, it couldn't be them!" Yuzu said shaking her head, "They would never do such a thing!"

"Yes, they would, Yuzu! Hana told me herself!" Karin shouted at Yuzu.

"Karin-" Isshin began.

"No, they wouldn't, Karin-chan! They're nice, and Jun-chan especially wouldn't do that!" Yuzu shouted back. Everyone was quiet; they were all taken aback by Yuzu shouting. Karin, however, quickly recovered and shouted back with more ferocity.

"Yuzu, Junko was with Hana when she told me! She was laughing right along with Hana and the other minions when they told me!"

"No, Jun-chan would never do such a thing! She's sweet and nice and sensitive and you still haven't apologized to her for making her hair blue!" Yuzu shouted back on the verge of tears.

"Karin-chan, Yuzu-chan, stop it! Arguing over whether or not the cheerleaders vandalized Haru-chan's yards does not help anything! Now, let's go to her house to clean up what we can," Isshin firmly said pushing them both forward until they began to walk on their own.

The other four who were watching the whole scene quietly began to follow Isshin and the twins towards the house. 'Looks like Kurosaki-taichou still has it in him to command,' Toushiro thought watching Isshin keeping one hand on Karin's shoulder and the other on Yuzu, steering them forward. "I'm going to check to see if they're okay," Suna said before running to Karin.

When Suna was out of hearing range, Toushiro told Grandma Haru what happened to her house, excluding the arrancar. Grandma Haru did not take the news as well; all her valuables -pictures, the snowman made of ice, etc - were in there but now they were probably all crushed along with the house.

When they arrive at the remains of the house Toushiro lied, for those who didn't know the truth, that there was a report that an earthquake would come today and that it must've been close to Grandma Haru's house when it occurred and destroyed her house. Haru and Matsumoto backed Toushiro up on the lie saying how they saw the report too and how the house was fragile but only Suna was listening. Yuzu only nodded at what he said; she wasn't paying too much attention to the house because she was still angry at Karin. Isshin could tell that it was a hollow that did the damage and not an earthquake. He offered Haru to stay in Toushiro's room longer and she accepted.

The next few days went by awkwardly. Yuzu refused to speak to Karin until she took back what she said and apologize to the cheerleaders and Karin refused to take it back and apologize. Dinner time was probably the most uncomfortable time for everyone living in the Kurosaki residence because Karin and Yuzu would be glaring at their food and eating quietly and no one else dared to get one of them to talk, even Isshin stayed quiet. The twins seemed to always be in a bad mood; Yuzu would be doing all her chores angrily and Karin would be playing soccer angrily, which unfortunately for Toushiro gave him some bruises from not ducking fast enough ('d*mn it, why can't her reiatsu control be horrible like her brother's,' Toushiro would think), but it all changed on the sixth day.

Karin just arrived home from soccer practice. Toushiro was in the clinic working on his reports and looking over old ones for clues to the arrancar, which he had been doing every day since the day after the first fight. Karin was heading to Ichigo's room to see if he had any algebra notes from the tenth grade when she heard crying coming from her and Yuzu's room. Sisterly instincts taking over, Karin completely forgot about their argument and ran to their room. Inside the room she saw Yuzu on her bed crying hard into her pillow.

"Yuzu," Karin said softly walking over to her bed and sitting next to her, "what's wrong? What happened?"

Yuzu immediately shot up, held onto Karin, and buried her face in Karin's shoulders. Karin rubbed her back soothingly as she patiently waited for Yuzu to tell her what was making her cry so much. After what seemed like an hour of hugging and sobbing, Yuzu pulled her face out of Karin's shoulders, still sobbing, she looked up at and murmured, "Jinta-kun's cheating on me."

* * *

><p><strong>Cliff-hanger (does that count as one? I'm not sure)! So what'd you guys think? How many of you are angry at Jinta? Even if you don't like JintaXYuzu you have to be mad that because of Jinta Yuzu is crying! (or not, your choice) Also, Japan's bacon is very different from American if you were wondering why they said "American bacon" instead of just "bacon".<strong>

**Review please! With each review you give you receive a free puppy from me! (Fast Talking Announcer Voice: . Thankyouandhaveaniceday/night)**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm back, baby! Hey you guys, again, sorry for the late update but, like I said last chapter, I started school again and it's really taking away my free time. I've joined two clubs at school and I'm in a soccer team now and blah blah blah. I'm still getting used to my new schedule (in and outside of school) and the new amount of homework I'm receiving. For those of you who love action scenes congrats because the action has finally arrived! I've never written an action scene before so I'm not sure if it is that good or not but, meh, what's done is done. Now my fellow HitsuKarin fans enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, Tite Kubo does. If I owned Bleach I would make sure Toushiro and Karin see each other after Kugo's killed.  
><strong>

**'...' Regular thinking, _Italicized_ the voice in the back of someone's head**

* * *

><p>Karin was holding her sister close to her and rubbing her back soothingly to calm her down which both were obviously not at the moment. Karin couldn't believe Jinta! Here Yuzu, his girlfriend, the girl he calls a goddess, the one he followed around since they were both eleven, was crying her heart out because of him and he wasn't even trying to fix this! Karin seethed quietly, her face wearing a mixture of a scowl and glare, and continued to rub Yuzu's back without saying a word.<p>

Yuzu looked like she didn't want anyone to tell her it was alright but she did look like she wanted to be told that this was a dream or that what she said about Jinta cheating on her was a lie or sick joke, but Karin wasn't going to tell her that.

Yuzu cried on Karin's shoulder for close to an hour before she tired herself out and fell asleep on Karin. Karin held onto her for a few more minutes, afraid that if she let go the kami forsaken tears might come back, then she gently placed her on the bed and pulled the covers over Yuzu's shoulder. She stood up to leave but she was pulled back down.

Yuzu was holding onto Karin's hand tightly. Karin' eyes were soft and she squeezed Yuzu's hand. No matter how much Yuzu was the motherly figure of the two Karin would be the one to hold her and soothe her like a mother whenever she cried. If it were over someone being mean to her, which Ichigo took care of when they were kids, a nightmare, or even about their mother Karin was the one Yuzu always ran to, the only one whose shoulders were always prepared for her tears.

Karin quickly pried Yuzu's fingers off of her and ran out the house.

_Urahara Shoten_

Urahara sighed. He was alone in his room lying on his futon, bored out of his mind. There was nothing interesting going on for an entire week; the hollow that Karin told him about still hadn't returned, Yoruichi was in the Soul Society for something important and he couldn't go, being in "hiding" and all, and since it was arrancar watch month or as he liked to call it "Take Entertainment Away From Me" month there was absolutely nothing to do! Yoruichi hid all his experiments and incomplete inventions before she left, telling him, "You need to relax more, people in hiding aren't supposed to work". Although, he was pretty sure she only hid them to either annoy him or piss him off for drinking the last carton of milk - her plan was working.

He would make Jinta find them for him with Tessai, since he himself had given up after ten minutes of looking, but as soon as he returned to the shop Jinta locked himself in his room and refused to come out. Urahara could see the boy needed some time alone so he didn't push him after the first time asking.

"Looks like it's going to be another boring day," Urahara complained aloud to no one in particular. _JINTAAAAAAAAAA! _Urahara heard from a block away. "Or maybe not," Urahara smirked.

Walking out of his room and into the store part of the small building he sat on a small pillow and waited for a certain person to come through the door. _JINTAAAAAAAAAAAA!_ The voice was louder this time. _JINTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_ Urahara's smirk grew bigger with each scream. "JINTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" a black haired girl screamed running into the store. "Where are you ya little bastard?"

"Well, hello there, Kurosaki-chan!," Urahara greeted kindly, hiding his silly smirk behind a his usual friendly smile. "I didn't expect to see you today."

Ignoring him, Karin walked right pass Urahara into the back, which made him fake-pout. Karin stopped at the only closed door in the store. "Jinta! Open up, Jinta!" No response. "Open this door right now you redheaded bastard or-"

The door opened, and in front of Karin there stood the red headed bastard Jinta with his head hanging, face facing the floor. Karin couldn't get a good look at his face but that didn't stop her from saying what she had to say. "Jinta... what happened?" Karin calmly asked.

Karin could tell Jinta wasn't expecting her to say that, and so calmly too, because his head lifted enough for her to see that his eyebrows were raised, but it didn't last long because they quickly lowered along with his head which sunk even more. Jinta muttered something incoherent. "What?" Karin asked. Jinta muttered but, again, it was incoherent. "How am I supposed to hear what you have to say if you don't speak up?"

Louder and more clearly this time, Jinta said, "I didn't cheat on her!" He lifted his head up; his face was completely serious and his eyes were looking straight in Karin's.

"I know you didn't," Karin said changing Jinta's serious face to that of a dumbfounded one, but before he could say anything, she continued, "But that wasn't my question. I asked 'what happened?'."

Karin watched as Jinta's face turned serious once again but it also showed a tinge of guilt. They were both looking at each other in the eye both refusing to let their eyes wander anywhere else. Karin smiled on the inside. 'Looks like I was right,' Karin thought still looking him in the eye.

"It was the cheerleaders, and I know it must've been a plan to piss you off," Jinta said completely serious.

Karin stayed angry for a few seconds before locking up the emotion and saying, "I'm going to need you to elaborate, Jinta."

Jinta nodded. "I was at the gate of the school to pick up Yuzu, like usual, when some yellowish-blue haired girl walked up to me. I knew she was a cheerleader when I saw her wearing the cheerleaders' uniform, but when I figured that out I ignored her!" Jinta began scowling. "I've heard the kind of things they've said about your and Suna's families."

Karin only nodded. She knew what they would say about her and Suna's families. It was one of the reasons why half their pranks were directed at them. They were always talking bad about how their families were violent, dumb trash.

Her family were good people though, heck, they healed other people! Sure, she and Ichigo had injured some themselves but never enough to be sent to the hospital and they always had a good reason for doing so! And they were certainly not dumb; Ichigo and Karin were both twenty-three in the top fifty students list and Yuzu was ten. Karin cared deeply about her family and she hated whenever someone talked bad about her them, especially when said person didn't know her family, but she didn't take as bad as Suna.

Suna's parents had run out on her and her big sister, or more like their father was sick of them so he left them and forced their mother with him to go with him, when she was only six. She hated her parents. No, that was a lie, she only hated her father. She wanted to hate her mother so badly for not trying hard enough to escape her father's grasp on her when he pulled her out of the apartment but she couldn't. Her big sister, who had to take charge and search for a well paying job that could support both a 15 year old and 6 year old and pay the bills, on the other hand hated both her parents including their mother who she hated the most for being so weak.

Suna didn't need the cheerleaders to remind her of her parents, she really didn't. She couldn't agree more about her father being trash but she couldn't stand for bad things being said about her mother. A reason it was so hard to talk about them at their funeral when they were found murdered when she was fourteen.

Maybe it was because they both didn't have their mothers in their lives anymore that Karin and Suna became close friends, even if Karin loved and respected her mother and Suna wanted to hate hers.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Karin asked, "Then what did she do?"

"She tried to flirt with me saying crap like 'you're hot' and whatnot but I told her to go away, but then she started pushing me against the wall. I pushed her away but then she just pushed me against the wall again, but before I could push her away she began kissing me! Then that's," Jinta paused. His eyes were shut tight, his hands were fists at his sides, and he looked like he was disgusted with himself. "Then that's when Yuzu came and saw her kissing me. I tried pushing her away but her arms were around my neck and she wouldn't let go! When the girl finally let go of me Yuzu was already running away."

Jinta sat down on the ground and glared at the floor. "The girl told me to tell you... 'You're next'."

_"...I'm going to mess with your family"_ 'That's what Hana told me.' Karin thought. Her hands balled into fists. First Grandma Haru and now Yuzu! She was going to get Hana back for this, but first...

"Jinta!" Karin screamed as her fist connected with Jinta's jaw. The punch was so hard Jinta fell backwards onto the floor.

"Ow! Crap that hurt!" Jinta exclaimed, clearly not expecting to be punched. "What was that for?"

"For not running after Yuzu, you bastard! She cried because of you!" Karin screamed rubbing her fist. "Why didn't you go after her and tell her what happened?"

Jinta frowned. "Because what if she wouldn't believe me. Then what would I do?" Karin punched Jinta again. "Stop doing that!"

"Baka, she'd believe you," Karin said.

"How do you know that?"

"Because she trusts you and cares about you and, not to sound cheesy but, when she looks into your eyes she'll know you're not lying like I knew when I looked into them," Karin answered honestly.

Jinta and Karin stayed quiet, Jinta stuck in his thoughts while Karin watched him. After a while, Jinta slowly stands up with a confident smile on his face and determination in his grey eyes. "I need to go apologise and tell her what happened," Jinta said, beginning to run out of the store, but Karin stopped him by grabbing his shoulder.

"Don't," Karin advised looking straight ahead away from Jinta, "at least not right now. She's tired now so talk to her tomorrow, before school if you can so she won't have to go too long being sad."

Looking down to his side he looked at the young Kurosaki. "Right. Karin, why didn't you try and beat me to a pulp as soon as you came over? Didn't you think I was cheating on Yuzu?"

Karin dropped her hand from his shoulder, but still continued to avoid eye contact. "Because you look at Yuzu the way Oto-san looks at the poster of Ka-san when he thinks no one is looking."

Jinta looked a little stunned for a moment, surprised Karin said something so sentimental and had _noticed_ it, before his gaze turned softer. Small flashbacks popped into his mind of his time with Yuzu and he could remember many times where he had looked at Yuzu the way Karin described, but he also noticed someone looking at Karin that way. 'I wonder if he even realizes that?' Jinta thought.

"Well, I'm going to go buy Yuzu a gift." Jinta stood in a running stance. "Oh, and look out for those 'looks' more closely."

Now Karin turned around, about to ask Jinta what he meant but he had already taken off. Karin sighed, exhausted from soothing Yuzu and confronting Jinta. And what did Jinta mean by _more closely_? Was he saying other guys looked at Yuzu that way? Or was he trying to say that someone was looking at _her_ that way? Karin groaned. It was stupid to think about, she was only sixteen after all.

Again, Karin groaned, now sitting on the ground with her back against the wall and her right leg propping her arms. "Why am I even thinking about this?"

"Cause you're curious of course!" a voice said.

"You're not helping, Urahara-san."

"I'm not un-helping either," the blond man pointed out, stepping into the hallway.

"True," Karin replied not wanting to continue the conversation.

Noticing she wanted to stop talking about what Jinta said, Urahara asked, "Well, while you're here how about some training?"

"Yoruichi took your experiments with her didn't she?" Karin asked with an all-knowing smirk on her face.

"No," Urahara paused a moment to hide his face in the shadow of his hat, "she hid them." Karin then laughed at her sensei's misfortunes, causing his face to sink deeper into the shadow. "Y'know it is very rude to laugh at your sensei."

"Then for the next few seconds I won't consider you my sensei," Karin said and then laughed louder to annoy Urahara.

After Karin stopped laughing, the atmosphere around them turned serious. "We need to discuss what we're going to do about them, Kurosaki-chan. They haven't popped up once since the incident but now, after _three years_, they've decided to start attacking."

"We need to find out why they decided to show up now," Karin stated finishing Urahara's thoughts.

Suddenly the air grew heavier and a new reiatsu appeared. Karin and Urahara were both still standing but their faces turned even more serious and they were facing where the new reiatsu was. "Kurosaki," Urahara called, staring intently at Karin, "don't. We can't have them involved."

"But this is my fault!" Karin shouted glaring at Urahara. "I'm going to let him fix _my _mistake!" Then, without warning, Karin stood up and ran away.

"Kurosaki, let them take care of it! We can't have them finding out yet!" But Karin was already gone.

_Kurosaki Residence_

Toushiro was shuffling through old reports from shinigami that had been assigned to Karakura for the past few months he and Matsumoto weren't there. None of the reports said anything about arrancars; the closest reports there were to talking about arrancars were of menos grandes and how they disappeared before the shinigami could arrive at where the hollow once was. Toushiro had to try not to growl with each report he read. Not _one_ measly little mention of an arrancar in over four hundred thirteen reports, most of which he had already looked over three times! And there were still more reports he was waiting to be sent to him to read!

Toushiro sighed. He had been spending most of the past week reading reports and writing down notes to do anything else; he had skipped some days of school to read the reports and his only breaks were dinner and playing soccer with Karin, although it seemed more like unnecessary torture since Karin spent more time bruising him than playing.

That was something else that was occupying Toushiro's thoughts along with Lebario - Karin. He was worried about her, he had never seen her so mad at Yuzu before, and why was she so mad at her? Because Yuzu thought the cheerleaders were innocent? Toushiro had never known Karin to be angry at someone for having their own opinions and ideas, or at least not angry enough that she ignored them for an entire week.

_You still haven't asked her why she tensed up at your question last week; maybe her anger has something to do with it._

'I decided not to ask her.'

_What? Why, may I ask, would you decide not to?_

'Because when there is something bothering her she usually comes to Yuzu or me, so if she is going to continue being stubborn she won't go to Yuzu and eventually she will want to apologize to her but being stubborn she'll come to me and then I can ask at that time,' Toushiro explained, flipping a page in report number two hundred fifty-nine.

_Just go to her and ask now! What's the point of waiting and carrying out this feud any longer? If she kicks any harder she's going to break one of our bones!_

'Why did I listen to Hyourinmaru?' Toushiro thought annoyed. He had taken Hyourinmaru's advice and started listening to the voice in the back of his head and he immediately regretted it. The voice was so ignorant and annoying sometimes he found it hard to believe it was technically him.

_Y'know you just called yourself ignorant and annoying, right?_

'...'

Before the voice could say anything, the air grew heavier and Toushiro could sense a new, powerful reiatsu - a hollow's reiatsu. Toushiro's soul pager went off, and before he could grab his phone to call Matsumoto it was already ringing.

"Taichou," Toushiro heard from the other line.

"I know. We need to hurry before it causes any damage. Remember we need it alive for interrogation," Toushiro said then closed his phone and ate a gikongan. In shinigami form, Toushiro followed the reiatsu. It was very strong so he didn't need to check his soul page to find where it was.

Then something unexpected happened. More reiatsu's were appearing, all hollow, and they seemed to all be together where the first hollow appeared. 'What is going on?' Toushiro thought. 'Hollows don't work together that often.'

Toushiro also felt a new reiatsu appear that didn't belong to a hollow, but he couldn't place his finger on who it was. It felt so familiar but very different at the same time, and the reiatsu level increased twice as much. "This can't be good."

When Toushiro finally arrived where the hollows were gathered he stood stunned. There were ten - no, fifteen - no, twenty, maybe more gillians gathered at a small park. Toushiro had never seen so many hollows gathered together in one place! "Taichou," he heard a stunned voice say next to him.

Turning to his side, he saw Matsumoto with her zanpakuto out and in a fighting stance, showing she was ready to fight but her slightly opened mouth and widened eyes seemed to disagree with the sword and her stance, but Toushiro's eyes quickly focused on something else.

"Kurosaki!" Toushiro screamed, running down to the park where he saw Karin herding many children away from the park. "Kurosaki, get out of here it's too dangerous!"

She only stared blankly at him.

"Kurosaki, get out of here! Now!" Karin stood her ground.

"Karin-sama ordered me to lead the children to safety before I leave, Hitsugaya-sama."

Toushiro stared at Karin. "Kurosaki," Toushiro began but stopped when he saw a menos stretch its arm out to attack. "Kurosaki!" Toushiro quickly picked her up and carried her away to where the children were running away from the small crater the hollow made.

"I am not Karin-sama."

"Taichou!" Matsumoto called from up in the sky, using Haineko to cut down menos. She quickly pointed up to the sky. "There's the hollow controlling the menos!"

Toushiro followed the direction she was pointing at and caught sight of the adjuchas. It was large and had a hole in the middle of its chest, its mask made the shape of a V, and there was a bone with one end sharpened on its back. But the adjucha wasn't the strong reiatsu Toushiro first felt.

Before Toushiro could look around for the original reiatsu, the adjuchas appeared in front of Toushiro and swung his arm. Toushiro, always on guard, easily dodged the attack. With Hyourinmaru unsheathed he and the adjucha began to fight. "Trash, c'mere and help!" the adjuchas yelled after dodging one of Toushiro's swipes. Gillians began to walk over to where Toushiro was battling, and began to attack him.

Matsumoto appeared next to him and they began attacking the hollows together. Destroying the gillians was considerably easy but more and more were coming out of a garganta behind the adjuchas. "That's it!" Toushiro shouted, annoyed. "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hy-"

"Shut up!" All the hollows stopped attacking and the adjuchas turned and bowed. Toushiro felt the original reiatsu flare up above him. Looking, up he caught sight of an arrancar. It was a male and he was wearing the uniform of Aizen's army with the zipper of the coat down, showing his six-pack, and the sleeves torn off, he had one fang sticking out of the bottom of his lips, and he was also wearing a pair of Kaname's glasses. There was a number 6 tattoo on his right bicep and his hole was a few inches above his abdomen. His grey hair was flat and wavy, a brown line tracing all over the perimeter of his hair, the back of his hair reached the middle of his neck and the front stopping right above his eyebrows. His mask was a small triangular piece on the left side of his head with a horn that looked more like an animal ear attached to it. "Stop playing around, Basura! Use cero already!"

"Hai, Yukon!" The adjuchas, apparently named Basura, turned back to Toushiro and Rangiku and shouted, "Trash!" Every gillian opened their mouths and began to shoot ceros at them.

Dodging the ceros, Toushiro shouted, "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!" His sword grew slightly larger and a metal chain with a crescent-shaped blade grew out of the hilt. Before any hollows could register the change they were all encased in ice then shattered to tiny pieces. "Basura," Toushiro heard the arrancar Yukon yell, but kept his eyes on Basura, "stop using those d*mned gillians already!"

"But Yukon-"

"We don't need any weak hollows to do our work! Now fight them! We can't kill the guy and girl," Yukon said. He sounded furious about that he couldn't kill him and Matsumoto, and Toushiro was about to retort until Yukon continued. "But fighting the girl is enough for me for now, so you can kill the woman if you want!" Woman? If Matsumoto was the woman than who was the...

"Like hell he can!" Now Toushiro turned to where the arrancar was. A few feet away from him was Karin! She was in a shihakusho with a black cloak on top with the hood down, a katana in her hands and sheathed wakizashi on her left hip. The katana had a square, gold colored guard, the hilt was red with gold colored ray skins, and there was a ring small enough to twirl around a finger on the butt cap.

But Toushiro was paying more attention to her wounds than her sword. There were multiple cuts on her face and hands, on her right leg there was a long gash going down from her knee to the ankle and she looked like she was trying hard to keep from using too much force on it, and then there was a large gash on her abdomen, the blood was slowly oozing out and slowly staining her uniform with blood.

"And quit stopping to talk!" Karin continued.

"Shut up, b*tch!" Yukon shouted and then swung at Karin, but she shunpoed a few feet away before the sword hit her. Karin disappeared for a second then reappeared above Yukon and swung her katana down, aiming for his right shoulder, but he blocked with his own sword. With their swords pushing the other's sword, Karin brought her left leg up and kicked Yukon right under his jaw and flipped back away from him, but not before he slashed her back, blood and hair to falling to the ground.

"Kurosaki!" Toushiro shouted and ran to Karin, but Basura blocked him.

"Nu uh uh, that ain't yer fight." Basura slowly pulled out a bone from his back, and swinging it towards Toushiro, he screamed, "This one is!"

Toushiro quickly sidestepped then slashed at the adjuchas arm, leaving a small cut. The wound only seemed to make Basura more determined to kill Toushiro but instead of attacking him he ran towards Matsumoto and punched her - hard. Matsumoto went flying off and crashed into the ground, creating a small crater. Before she could stand up, Basura dropped down and stomped on her stomach, causing her to cough up some blood. Her vision was blurry but Matsumoto could still see the purple blob that was the bastard who stepped on her.

Ash gathered around the adjuchas foot and she swung her hilt against the air, cutting off its foot. "Aaaaaahhhh!" Basura cried. "MY FOOT!" Matsumoto stood up and coughed out some more blood. Seeing her chance to attack, lifted her right arm, the palm of her hand pointed towards Basura, and her left hand holding her right wrist, she shouted, "Hado #31: Shakkaho!" A red ball of energy appeared in front of her palm then shot out at Basura and hit him right in the face.

Basura let out another cry of pain and held onto his face. "You *****!" Basura shouted and grabbed Matsumoto. Squeezing her tight, he pushed Matsumoto down deep into the crater. "Die you little piece of-" Then an ice dragon rammed its head into the arm holding Matsumoto and froze the arm. Toushiro appeared beside the arm and brought down his sword hard on the ice completely slicing off Basura's arm. Again, Basura cried out in pain.

"Bastards! All of you! I'm getting out of here!" Basura quickly jumped into the garganta and disappeared from Toushiro's sight.

When he was sure Basura was gone Toushiro pulled Matsumoto out of the small hole and held her up. "Matsumoto, are you alright?" Toushiro asked, concerned for his leuitenant.

"I'm fine, Taichou. Go help Karin-cha-" Rangiku began but couldn't finish because she began to cough up more blood.

"Matsumoto!"

"Hand her over, Hitsugaya-sama. I can take her to Urahara-sama's shop to heal while you help Karin-sama," Karin's body commanded stepping in front of the shinigami. Reluctantly, Toushiro handed over Rangiku to Karin's body then checked on her for one last second before shunpoing off to Karin's battle.

-(While that was happening)-

"You got better, little girl," Yukon complimented Karin while ducking under Karin's swing.

"Thanks. Looks like you got better too," Karin replied and then attempted to swipe his legs to make him fall.

"Course I did!" Grabbing Karin's ankle before Karin could kick his legs, he threw her down onto the jungle gym of the playground.

Karin heard two nasty crack sounds as she crashed into the jungle gym and swore under her breath. Karin was tired and hurt and she could feel her legs giving in.'D*mn it! All that training and I'm still getting beaten! I'm not letting that bastard get away again!' With much effort, Karin stood up, her legs shaking from the exertion.

"Well, well, well, look who can still stand!" Yukon said, clapping, irritating Karin. "Nice job, b*tch, now let's fight!" Yukon used sonido and appeared behind Karin. He rammed his fist against Karin's spine, right on the gash he inflicted on her earlier, before she could turn. She flew through ten trees until her body finally came to a painful stop against the last tree, causing Karin to cough up blood. Karin drove her sword into the ground and leaned against it so she wouldn't fall.

Karin coughed more blood but stood her ground and waited for the grey haired arrancar to make his appearance. "Maybe," Karin strategized, "if I use-"

_'No, Karin!'_ A voice yelled in Karin's head._ 'You are not going to win this fight even if you use that attack! Use the last of your strength to retreat to Urahara's!'_

"I am not surrendering to that bastard! You are the one who taught me that it would be a disgrace to surrend!" Karin screamed.

_'It would be a disgrace to surrender because it means you had given up, but retreating is not a disgrace because it means you are backing away from the fight to heal and train so that you can fight that enemy another day!'_ the voice attempted to reason.

Karin glared at the trees in front of her. In her mind flashes of a man with short black hair and blue eyes cold enough to scare a adjucha and a woman with straight brown hair and calm but depressed brown eyes were lying on the ground in a pool of their own blood and the woman in soul form with the chain of fate sticking out of her chest crying out her prayers that her daughters would have wonderful lives as she was devoured by Yukon. All logic was blocked from entering her mind and the voice was growing fainter and fainter by the second. Karin had made up her mind.

Sensing Yukon, Karin turned her head up to the sky to catch the bastard running down towards her. "Prepare to die!" Yukon shouted, raising his sword high above his head.

Karin stopped leaning on her sword and stood up straight. Preparing to swing, Karin yelled, "Funka (Eruption)!" As Karin swung her sword around, lava shot out of the sword in the shape of a crescent moon and hit Yukon straight in the chest sending him flying back in the air, away from Karin. "It's now or never," Karin whispered.

Karin quickly sheathed the katana on her left hip and then unsheathed her wakizashi. It had the exact same design as the katana did except at the tip of the wakizashi to a few inches down the sword there was a pattern of fire and lava combined swirling up the sword. Karin raised it high above her head, the tip facing the sun, and shouted, "Subete ga yūkai suru (All will melt)!" The sword began to glow red-orange from the bottom traveling up to the tip of the sword, encasing the sword in its warm, soft glow. The sides of the hilt began to melt and wrap around her wrist. What melted of the hilt solidified around her wrist and some spikes poked into her skin, almost touching her bones. Karin let out a howl of pain until the process was complete. Karin felt her body temperature slowly decreasing.

_'You can't turn back now, Karin. Just remember not to use it for too long,'_ the voice in Karin's head warned her.

'Don't worry, Rai. I'll kill the bastard before I even begin to feel-' Karin's thoughts were interrupted by Yukon's loud battle cry. He was running at her through the woods with his sword at his side and right hand curled into a fist. The lava that hit him earlier had already cooled off and some lumps of it were falling off him, but the burn mark left from the hit was obviously noticeable on his chest, the top of his right leg, and left shoulder. 'Here we go,' Karin thought, smirking.

Karin crouched, drove the tip of her sword into the ground and started running towards Yukon, a line of lava and a little fire following where the blade touched. Karin smirked. Yukon was so distracted by his lust for battle he didn't even seem to notice her change. 'Perfect.' When she thought he was close enough she swung her blade up, but Yukon sensed the attack and bended backwards, the sword missing his nose by only a few inches. Bending farther back, Yukon kicked Karin's sword away then flipped back onto his feet. Yukon felt the foot he used to kick Karin's sword with grow lighter. Yukon sniffed the air. He knew why his foot felt lighter - his sandal was melting. He could smell the wood melting.

Karin attacked him again, but this time he took out his sword and parried each attack. Yukon knew this attack and he knew its power firsthand, and he wasn't planning on experiencing it again. Sniffing the air and feeling the temperature in his hands increase, he could tell his sword wasn't going to last much longer but he carried on the fight because he could feel Karin's swings getting shakier with each hit.

Not expecting it, Yukon felt Karin grab his vest and pull him down into a head bump. He quickly recovered from his small shock and jumped back as Karin slashed her sword across his chest. Yukon screamed out in pain. He felt his skin melting, slowly descending down his chest. It felt like his chest was over two thousand degrees and that a bunch of menos were dancing and stomping around on top of it. The pain was almost as bad as the first time she used it on him.

Karin glared at Yukon, waiting for him to move. He was breathing heavily and sweating all over and his melting skin and sword was landing on his hands and the ground. He didn't look good and she wasn't doing so well either. She was shaking horribly, her body temperature was dropping drastically, and her coordination was becoming greatly sloppy. She knew if she used it any longer there'd be no way she could ever fight Yukon again if she didn't finish him off now. 'Which is why I need to now!' Karin thought.

Without thinking, Karin ran to him. Yukon took a step forward and grabbed Karin by the neck. He was pressing hard on her neck and Karin could feel some of the hot, melted metal from his sword on her neck. "Don't... think this's... over!" Yukon huffed, still breathing heavily. "I'll be back... to finish... you... off!" A garganta opened up behind him with Lebario inside.

"Yukon!"

"Yeah, yeah... I was... just... comi-"

"Kurosaki!" Karin tilted her head as far back as she could and caught sight of Toushiro. His reiatsu was flaring and his face looked blood thirsty. He looked like one of those angry male chimpanzees Karin saw on a documentary in school; when a male chimpanzee goes out to patrol with the other male chimpanzees in the group and finds strangers entering their territory they attack and sometimes kill the strangers, and Karin was the territory, and Yukon was the stranger.

"Guess I... better go," Yukon said. Throwing Karin aside, he jumped into gaganta and walked farther inside it with Lebario as it closed behind them.

Toushiro swiftly caught her in his arms before she could landed. "No," Karin, glaring at where the garganta once was, attempted to scream but her voice was too hoarse for it to come out. "Get back here, bastard."

Realizing she was in someone's arms, Karin turned to see Toushiro holding on tightly to her and looking at her worriedly. Before slipping into unconsciousness Karin whispered, "Crap."

For a moment Toushiro only stared at Karin. She was very pale, her lips were slowly turning blue, her skin felt so cold, blood was seeping out of her mouth, and, even though she was unconscious, she was shaking very violently. 'Kurosaki! Karin!' Toushiro thought panicking. Toushiro shook Karin a little. "Karin!" he shouted. Toushiro quickly stood up and shunpoed as fast as he could to Urahara Shoten, looking down anxiously at Karin every few seconds.

* * *

><p><strong>Not much of a cliffhanger, is it? Oh well. Please everyone tell me what you thought! Please everyone review! Reviews let me know that people are still reading this! Constructive critism is always welcome!<strong>


End file.
